The Door to Narnia
by ohiogal593
Summary: What would happen if there was another way into Narnia? What if a girl just happened to stumble through this during the story of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe? Prophecies, battles, and an untold romance would happen, that's what! T, just in case
1. Surprising News

This is my very first fanfic. I don't know how people will like it, I don't even know if I'll finish it, but I'll try my best. Enjoy!  
Warning: the characters may be a little off. I hope that in time, I'll be better at potraying their characters, but until then...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of C.S Lewis'. The only people I truly own are Claire, Ellen, and Mary.

* * *

It's a dim day in London. There are gray clouds in the sky with the foreboding feeling of rain in the air. I sighed; the dreary weather reflected how I felt. The year was 1940, a dangerous time for London. Air raids were becoming more and more common. My mother, Eliza, and I had been living here alone since my father went to help fight in the war. We hadn't heard from him since last year when he sent us a letter. I was walking home from school. It had been one of those rare days that I _could_ go to school. My mother had come down with a bad cold and I had to stay home and help her most days. On good days though, my mother would insist on me going to school and I would then done my uniform and take off running down the street to my school.

The wind blew my straight, golden brown hair into my eyes. I brushed it away and looked up at the sky, nervously watching for any indication of another air raid. They usually came at night, but one still had to be on the lookout. I glanced in front of me again and noticed a group walking towards me. I saw two of them wearing the same uniform that I had on, the other two wore the younger kids' uniform. I recognized them as the Pevensies. The oldest of the four, Peter, was in the same year as I was. His sister, Susan, was one year below us and his younger brother, Edmund, was two years below her. Finally, the youngest, Lucy, was one year below Edmund. Out of the four, I liked Peter and Lucy the most. Susan always tried to be practical and smart, and most of the time she was, but she also tended to get somewhat annoying after a while. Edmund on the other hand had a nasty sense of humor and was always trying too hard to be grown up and outshine his brother. The only reason I knew Lucy was because of my little cousin, Mary. When she came to visit, the two would beg to spend time together. They had met in school when Mary still lived in London. As it was, with Lucy visiting our house so often during school vacations, Lucy and I had become passing friends, or friends that will stop to say hi and talk in the streets. However, since Peter was with them, I didn't really want Lucy to see me. Only Ellen, my best friend, knew of my crush on Peter and she took any chance she could to tease me about it.

I looked at the sidewalk, determined to get past the Pevensies without being recognized. But luck didn't seem to be with me that day. As I drew closer to the group, I made the mistake of looking up again. It was only for a few seconds, but those few seconds allowed Lucy to see who I was.

"Claire!" I sighed. Lucy left Edmund's side and ran up to me. Forcing myself to stop and smile at Lucy, I replied to her cheery greeting.

"Hello Lucy. How are you?" Lucy smiled warmly at me.

"Very well, thank you. Is Mary going to come anytime soon?"

"I think she'll be coming in two weeks."

"Who are you talking to Lucy?" She turned around to face her questioner while I looked over her head.

"I was just saying hi to Claire, I haven't seen her in such a long time. You should know her Peter, isn't she in your class?" Peter looked up at me with his brilliant blue eyes and I felt my cheeks start to heat up. I fought to keep the blush from showing and I think I won against my stubborn cheeks.

"Hello Claire."

"Hello Peter. Susan, Edmund." Susan smiled and waved while Edmund just nodded. Lucy skipped to my side and took my hand.

"So where are you going Claire?" she asked.

"I'm just heading home." Lucy started to frown as I said that, as if I had said something wrong.

"That's all you're doing? You aren't going anywhere special?"

"No." Lucy kept frowning for the next few moments, then her face lit up with a smile.

"Do you want to come to our house and play with me?" Her face looked so hopeful that I had to let out a small laugh.

"I'm sorry Lucy. I have to go home and see if my mother is still feeling well." A small "oh" escaped from Lucy's lips. She looked up at me with sad eyes that showed how much she regretted asking. I gave her small hand a squeeze to reassure her that everything was all right.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I might be staying home tomorrow, but I'll try to meet you here, ok?"

"Ok!" With that I waved goodbye and started back home. I was quite proud with how I handled myself in front of Peter. I was myself when I talked to him, not shy or anything, and that made me extremely content.

Later that night, as I was finishing washing the dishes, the alarm sounded. I dropped the plate I was holding and ran to get my mother. I ran through the darkened hallways, my hair fanning out behind me.

"Mother! Mother! Wake up!" The shadows on the walls danced and glared in a menacing way. I kept looking straight ahead until I burst into my mother's room. I woke her and grabbed our emergency box before we frantically ran to our shelter,

The bombing lasted for hours. We huddled together on the floor; jumping each time we heard a bomb go off. As the raid drew to a close and the ground stopped quaking, my mother took in a deep, shaky breath and declared some shocking news to me.

"Claire, we're going to live with you grandmother until the war is over."

"What?!"


	2. Saying Goodbye

Hello again. This is my second chapter. Wow, two chapters in one day...amazing! Please keep an open mind while reading this story. At times it may seem a little odd, but it is my first story after all.

C.S. Lewis owns his characters, I own mine, though my amount is considerably less than the number of characters he has.

* * *

"You're leaving?"

"Hush Ellen, please do. I don't want the whole world to know."

"Sorry Claire." Ellen's voice dropped down to a lower level. We were sitting on a bench outside of the school. I had waited until the end of the day to break the news to my friend because I knew that she wouldn't take it very well.

"My mother told me that she couldn't get any rest with all these air raids."

"But when are you going to leave?"

"In two days. Today was my last day at school. I'll be too busy packing to come to school." Though I really wished I could come back. Ellen showed signs of wanting to cry but she still smiled as always.

"What are you going to tell Peter?" It was just like Ellen to try to make things lighter, even if it meant dragging in my secret.

" Oh, hush you. Why should I tell him anything?" Ellen smiled and stood up.

"Because you love him and want him to miss you, that's why. Now I've better get going before my parents file a missing persons report for me or I'm assigned more chores. Take care Claire, I hope to see you again soon." I stood up and pulled Ellen into a tight hug. A few small tears ran down my face, but I could tell that Ellen was far worse. Her body was shaking and I could hear several choked sobs coming from her. I didn't want this to be the last time I saw her. I hoped desperately that the war would end quickly so I could come back again and see her, but I knew we had to part ways for now. I pulled away from Ellen and gave her a quick smile before walking back to my home.

While I walked, I made a list of everything we needed to pack for my grandmother's in my head. I thought about everything from my possessions to my mother's possessions to our most valuable antiques. I never truly realized how much stuff we had until I had to think about it. There were clothes, dishes, personal treasured items, old antiques that had been passed down for generations, and small trinkets that had been given to us by friends and family. The one item I would be sure to take would be a beautiful music box that had been given to me as a birthday present from Mary and Lucy. Lucy! I forgot that I had promised to meet her! I started to jog down the street, hoping that I wouldn't disappoint her. Fortunately, as I slid around a street corner, I spotted the four Pevensies walking towards the spot where I was standing. I stopped to catch my breath and slow down my heart rate.

"Claire! You came!" Lucy, who had been walking next to Peter, waved wildly at me and started to skip over to my side.

"I promised you that I would, didn't I?" She reached where I was standing and put her small hand in mine again.

"I'm glad you came. I like spending time with you." I smiled. Lucy could be so sweet.

"I like spending time with you as well."

"Can you come over today?"

"Unfortunately I can't. I have something to do today."

"You can't come over for even a few minutes?" I shook my head and watched as her smile turned into a sad pout.

"Lucy, you shouldn't pressure her." Susan had walked up beside us with the boys a few feet behind her.

"But Susan,"

"No buts. It's rude to pressure someone." Lucy's lip trembled and I stepped in before the situation got messy.

"It's alright Susan. There's no harm in wanting to spend time with someone." Peter and Edmund finally got to our little group. We all exchanged greetings, as polite members of society should do. I watched as Lucy and Susan started to argue our earlier conversation again with Edmund jumping in every so often. I didn't say anything; I just watched and committed everything they said to memory. Just so I could have something to remember them by at my grandmother's. I also noticed that Peter wasn't speaking either, he was just watching his siblings and rolling his eyes while glancing my way now and again. Knowing that he was watching me as well just made it hard for me to relax and I would tense up every time I felt his eyes on me. He seemed frustrated and concerned, maybe at his siblings, maybe about something else, but I was certain that it wasn't because of me. At least, I was certain until he spoke.

"Are you alright Claire? You seem a little stressed about something." I couldn't believe that he could see how anxious I felt at the moment. Inside I was giddy and lovesick, but I tried to keep that from showing on the outside. I let out a soft sigh. They deserved to know, Lucy most of all, and since Peter had asked me flat out, I had no way of avoiding it.

"My mother and I are leaving London." Lucy, who was still holding onto my hand, gave it a tight squeeze while the others looked at me with wide eyes.

"Are you leaving London forever?" I gave a shaky smile at Lucy's timid question.

"No Lucy. Just until the war's over. We're really leaving in two days, but today was the last day anyone besides my mother, my grandmother, and Mary will see me." Lucy was looking at the ground. I had wanted to avoid this, to keep her from getting upset, but maybe it was better that I told her. She let go of my hand, turned around quickly, and gave me a big hug. I stood there for a few moments in shock before returning the hug.

"So I guess this is goodbye." This was slightly muffled since Lucy was still hugging me at the time she had said it.

"Yeah, I guess so. But we'll see each other again, I know we will."

"Do you promise?" She looked up at me with hope filled eyes.

"I promise." Lucy smiled and detached her arms from around my waist.

"You had better keep your promise Claire, or I will be very angry with you." I laughed. Sometime, Lucy could just make everything seem better. She stepped out of the way as the other three stepped forward. They offered handshakes, well wishes and many 'be safe's for my trip. I was touched that they would say goodbye to me even though we weren't close friends. Edmund and Susan were the first to say farewell, then it was Peter's turn. I tried not to blush when I shook Peter's hand.

"Goodbye Peter."

"Take care."

"You too." He watched me with those blue eyes as I unwillingly released his hand and turned towards home. I hadn't walked one step before Lucy called out to me.

"Claire, wait!" I turned back to face her. She was searching through her school bag for something. She eventually found what she was looking for and handed it to me. "I made it for Mary, for her birthday. I was going to give it to her when I saw her, but you're going to see her before me. Could you give it to her please?" I looked down at the neat, white envelope and smiled.

"Sure. I'll give it to her as soon as I can."

"Thank you Claire." She gave me one last hug before skipping away, pulling her siblings behind her. I laughed. Lucy Pevensie was a truly unique person; I was really going to miss her.

* * *

That's chapter 2! Like it? Love it? Think I should stop writing? whatever your opinion is, I'll be happy to know. Excpet if it's a flame. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome, flames are not. Have a nice day!


	3. Tripping Backwards

My third chapter. Before anyone asks, yes, her grandmother IS Polly Plummer from The Magician's Nephew. If you haven't read it, you really should.

Does anybody besides C.S. Lewis own his characters? I wish I did, but sadly, I don't. Instead, I own my own characters like Claire, Ellen, and Mary.

* * *

My grandmother, Polly, lived out in the country with Mary, and at one time, her husband. My aunt and uncle died a few years ago when their new house caught on fire and they inhaled too much smoke. After their death, Mary cam to live here and Grandmother distracted herself by telling anyone who would listen about a time that she went on a grand adventure with a good friend (now a professor) and how they had once planted a tree together. Apparently, when a great storm blew down the tree, he gave my grandmother some of its wood. I think I've once heard her say that she made it into a door.

As we pulled up to my grandmother's white house, I saw Mary sitting on the porch steps like she always used to do when we would come over. She stood and ran toward us, her golden curls bouncing gaily. I opened my arms so that she could jump into them and give me a bone-crushing hug. How I had missed my cousin and her sweet smile. It was a relief to be somewhere familiar and safe after what was going on in London. The countryside was so open and beautiful that it was hard not to feel at ease.

"Claire! I missed you so much. Are you alright? What about Lucy and Fritz?" Fritz was also a close friend of Mary's in London. I sometimes would wonder whether their friendship would ever be something more.

"I'm fine Mary. So are Fritz and Lucy. Speaking of Lucy, she asked me to give this to you." I handed Mary the envelope and watched as her face shown with happiness. "It's for your birthday."

"Thank you." I smiled and looked towards the house again. My mother had already gone in but I was still hesitant. The last time I had seen my grandmother she had been really depressed. I wasn't sure I could handle that again, especially under all the stress I already had.

"How's Grandmother?" I waited for Mary to answer so I could prepare myself if I needed to.

"She's doing better. She's been talking about going to see the Professor a lot. I think the company of her friend will help her so I've been trying to encourage her to follow through with this plan." I looked down at Mary and smiled. She had grown up so fast from having to take care of our grandmother, yet she still had that air of youthfulness and innocence. I took a hold of Mary's hand and we walked into the house.

"Claire? Is that you? My, just look how you've grown."

"Hello Grandmother. It's nice to see you." Nothing had changed since I had last been here. The antique furniture and lace curtains were still sitting in the same place and my grandmother was still sitting in the same rocking chair that she had always sat in. I walked over to her and gave her a hug before retreating back to Mary's side. The two of us listened as my mother and our grandmother talked. They never said anything about the war, it was like the war didn't even exist, and, excluding the few slightly entertaining comments, the conversation remained fairly boring. I was grateful when my mother suggested that Mary could show me to my room and help me get unpacked.

As we walked, I asked Mary if we could visit the study so I could find a book to read that night. We dropped my things off in my room quickly and then continued to the third floor, where the study was. I had most things memorized in this house, so I was able to tell if something was out of place. We passed a door on our way to the study that I was certain I had never seen before. I stopped to examine it closer and saw that the door wasn't old and worn out like the others were.

"Hey Mary, is this a new room?"

"Oh, yeah. But Grandmother said that it was off-limits."

"Why?" She shrugged and then walked into the study. I turned reluctantly away from the door. There was something about that room, something special and also familiar, like whatever was inside was calling out to me. Despite Grandmother's rule, I made a mental note to explore it further.

A week passed by quickly. Each day had been sunny and cool, perfect weather to take walks and wander through fields in. However, that morning had been foggy and cold, eventually turning into rain, keeping everyone inside. I took this opportunity to explore the mysterious room without anyone wondering why I had stayed inside. I walked quietly up the stairs and down the hall until I was standing in front of the forbidden room. My hand instinctively took the doorknob and turned it, letting the door swing wide open. I glanced down each side of the hallway, hoping no one was there. The hallway remained empty and I let out a sigh of relief before turning back to the room.

Whatever I had been expecting was not what I received. When I turned on the light I saw that the walls were bare and the floors were almost bleached white. In fact, the only thing in this room was a wooden door directly across from where I was standing. I crept toward the door cautiously while closing the door to the hallway behind me.

The wooden door was ancient, I could see that, but it looked remarkably sturdy for its age. There were several carvings on the door, many being trees and vines. I also found a carving of an apple and one of the lion. The lion seemed so familiar, like an old friend, someone that I knew from another time though I didn't really know how. I ran my fingers over the lion's mane, surprised at how cold the wood felt. I was so absorbed in the door that I didn't hear the footsteps coming down the hallway. Once I did hear, I started to panic. I knew that even if the door was closed, a lot of the light would seep through cracks and show up clearly on the floor. Whoever was coming down the hall would be able to see the light and know that it wasn't supposed to be on. I had no chance to escape and there was nowhere in the room that I could hide, nowhere except behind the door that is. I quickly opened the old door and back into the room behind it.

The room turned out to be a closet of some sorts. As I backed up further into the closet, I passed several medieval like dresses, some old furniture, stacks of books, and plenty of coats. The closet must've been huge since I hadn't reached the back yet. I kept walking backwards, my hands stretched out behind me so I wouldn't run into any walls, until my foot slipped and I fell into a pile of something cold, soft, and white.

* * *

Hmmmmm... I wonder what it could be...I wonder WHERE it could be...  
Anyways, that was my third chapter. What do you think? Should I continue? Or should I give it up as a hopeless case?  
Comments and constructive critisism are welcome, flames are not. Thank you for taking the time to read this.


	4. Friends and Foes

Hi again! This took a little longer than I expected to put up, but it's really not my fault. My mom has banned me from my computer until my report card comes and right now, I'm breaking the rules and sneaking onto my computer at around 1:40 a.m. So enjoy this chapter!

I do not own, nor do I presume to own, any of C.S. Lewis's characters. I only own Claire, Ellen, Mary, Barley, and any other fictional characters I create to help move the story along.

* * *

As I sat up and brushed what I knew to be snow off of my clothes, my first thought was "this isn't possible." I was in a closet for goodness sakes, how could there be snow? It was a very good thing that I wasn't looking behind me at the moment or else I probably would've fainted.

I started to search for how I had fallen. I looked at the ground near my feet and saw a wooden sign that was thinly covered with ice. Brushing away a few leaves and specks of snow, I saw that the word 'Narnia' was carved into the wood.

Narnia. What did that mean? It sounded like the name of something, maybe a person. No. I had never met anybody with as weird a name as Narnia, it had to be something else. Maybe a country? As I pondered that thought, I stood up and steadied myself by grasping a tree. Wait…a tree? In a closet? I was baffled. I looked down but I didn't see any sign that it was a fake tree. What type of closet was this? I looked behind me and almost fell again. If a small pile of snow was enough for me to start questioning my sanity, then I didn't know how I supposed to react to this.

I saw a whole forest stretching out to my left side and hills and hills covered with snow before me. I took a few steps forward just to make sure it was real. My breath came out in white puffs as I walked forward. I turned to look back at the closet and saw that it was actually part of a cave carved into the bottom of a cliff. The cliff was at least three stories high. I looked to the right and saw that it was part of a rock wall. Above me I could see more trees and a clear blue sky. I shivered and realized that I was not dressed for winter weather. I walked back into the closet and searched for the coats.

They were surprisingly easy to find in the dark closet and I took the first coat that looked about my size. It was a cream colored coat with a white fur trim. It looked warm enough so I slipped it on. Sudden relief from the cold came with donning the coat. I pulled it closer around my slender body to keep in as much heat as possible. I next looked for some better shoes to walk through snow in than my slippers. They were comfortable but not suited for snow. I picked up a pair of leather knee-high boots and slipped them on before walking out of the closet again.

As I walked towards than hills, my feet started to slip over the surface. I paused and bent down, wiping away the thin layer of snow to reveal a sheet of ice. Puzzled, I walked a bit to the side and discovered ice there as well. Three other areas I looked at showed the same result, even the one farthest away from where I had started. I was on a river. That answer was clear enough. How thick or thin the ice covering it was I had yet to figure out.

I stooped down again and saw faint signs of the water beneath the ice. I knew that meant the ice wasn't very thick. I cautiously stood up and looked around me. There were some rocks lined up from the closet to the side of a small hill, which I figured was the bank of the river. Carefully, so not to disturb the ice, I walked over to one of the rocks, and then I jumped from rock to rock until I reached the shore. Only when I landed on the shore of the river did I breath easily. I had once had a bad experience with thin ice that I was not anxious to repeat.

I walked up the hill and into the forest, eventually ending up lost and wandering for what seemed like hours. I didn't really care that I was lost, I actually rather enjoyed it. One of my favorite sites to see is a tree covered in ice that sparkles like diamonds in the sun and to actually be surrounded by so many ice-coated trees seemed to bring my childhood fantasy of a diamond forest to life. I eventually grew tired of walking and just sat down between the trees. That's when I heard the bells.

Through the air the bells rang clear and light. They were sleigh bells and they were headed in my direction. I quickly stood and jumped out of the way just in time for a sleigh and two white reindeer to prance by. Inside of the sleigh sat a very short man and a tall woman. The woman bent forward and whispered something in the man's ear after which the man stopped the sleigh. The woman turned to me with a lovely, but cold face.

"Who are you?" She was so blunt that I was caught off guard and had to stutter out an answer.

"M-my name is Claire Hendricks."

"Are you a daughter of Eve, Claire?" A daughter of Eve? The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis came to mind. I figured she meant that Eve and that she was asking if I was a human. How strange. Wasn't it obvious that I was?

"Yes."

"Show more respect to the Queen of Narnia!" The short man's voice cut through the air as he scolded me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." I looked back at the woman. There was a sort of cold elegance about her. She fit in with the winter world around her in an eerie way, and there was something about her that I didn't trust. She was the next one to speak and her words and tone were too sweet compared to how she spoke before.

"Dear child, please come here. You look so cold; I can help you get warm. How about something to drink or eat?" I declined her offer of food but walked nearer cautiously. She offered me a seat next to her but I politely refused and stood next to the sleigh instead. "Tell me, dear one, do you have any siblings?" I still didn't trust her at all, so I lied.

"Yes. I have a younger sister. She isn't here at the moment though."

"I see. And is your sister anything like you?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty. Why do you ask?"

"My child, because you're so charming and lovely. You remind me of my daughter whom I lost a few years ago." She was lying, I could tell. Her voice was too sweet and she looked too innocent, but I thought it best to just play along.

"What was she like?"

"Long, golden-brown hair, like yours, but her hair very curly while yours just curls at the ends. She had a sweet face with ice-blue eyes and such an intelligent mind. Why, you remind me of her so much, I believed you were her at first."

"I'm honored."

"But your eyes are different. I can see that now. You have eyes of a darker blue, like that of an ocean." She seemed to think about something for a moment before turning back to me. "I would very much like to spend more time with you but I'm in a rush. Why don't you visit me at my castle between those two mountains." She pointed to the area she was talking about. "Come and keep me company, and bring your sister along as well! I would offer to take you home, but being a queen is such busy work and I really don't have the time."

"Have no fear, Your Majesty. I will escort the girl safely home." I turned around and saw a beautiful red fox speaking to the woman.

"Thank you, uh…"

"Barley, Your Majesty."

"Yes. Thank you Barley."

"My pleasure, Your Majesty." With that assurance, she bid us farewell and continued through the woods. I still didn't trust her, and that led me not to trust this fox either.

"I don't need your help."

"Are you sure, milady?"

"You work for her, therefore, I don't need your help."

"Well, I wouldn't say I work for the Witch. I'm a spy you see, but not for her."

"So you just pretend that you're on her side."

"Exactly."

"Then you lie on a daily basis, which means I still can't trust that you're telling the truth."

"Ah, but if I wasn't telling the truth, then I wouldn't be a spy and I wouldn't have to lie on a daily basis, which means that I wouldn't be as practiced at telling lies and you would be able to tell I was lying without a doubt. Therefore, the very fact that I am a spy proves that I am definitely telling the truth."

"Well…I have no idea what you just said." The fox started to laugh and, after a moment, I joined in. "You said your name is Barley?"

"Indeed, milady. And you are?"

"Claire."

"Well, Lady Claire, it is an honor to meet you."

"And you as well."

"Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"Well, I guess I am a little lost. But I'm not sure I want to go home. That would mean I couldn't return unless I brought my sister, and I have none." Barley smiled before shifting direction.

"Then how about meeting Aslan instead?" I turned in the same direction as Barley and walked up next to him.

"Anything would be better than going home or meeting that lady again." Barley laughed and started to walk. I followed a little behind him, letting him lead the way, and while we walked, I took the time to ask questions.

"Say, Barley?"

"Yes, milady?"

"A little while ago, you called that lady the Witch. Why is that?"

"We call her the White Witch, or even just the Witch, but her real name is Jadis. She makes it so that it's always winter here, but the joy of winter has disappeared after a hundred years, especially since we never have Christmas."

"I see. I love winter, but I can understand why it would seem so horrible at the moment."

"Indeed."

"Why does she call herself the Queen of Narnia?"

"I've heard stories that she was once the queen of a kingdom that she herself destroyed, so she came here to rule this land. But she's really just a fake. She can never compare to our king."

"Who is your king?"

"Why Aslan, of course!"

"Who we're going to meet?"

"Indeed, milady. He's returned because the kings and queens of the prophecy have arrived."

"What prophecy?"

"Well, there are actually several prophecies coming true at the moment. I'll let Aslan explain it to you."

"Who exactly is Aslan?"

"Aslan is the King of Narnia, Lord of the whole wood, Emperor of the Lone Islands, and son of the Emperor across the Sea, among other names. In short, Aslan is the great and true king of Narnia who is fighting to restore our country to its proper condition." I was awed by this description. Aslan must be truly wonderful to have so many names.

"What is he like?"

"Very…furry, milady."

"Furry?"

"Well, Aslan is a lion, the Great Lion. It's in his genes to be furry." So Aslan was a lion. That was a relief. I could imagine a lion being as great as Aslan, but not a man.

"Barley?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for asking so many questions."

"It's a pleasure, milady, to answer them." I smiled. I was a little puzzled as to why he kept referring to me as 'milady', but I was sure that it would be explained in time.

After a little while, the sky started to darken. I didn't notice at first, but it soon became clear that night was approaching.

"Barley, how far away is Aslan?"

"From here, half a day's walk."

"I really should be heading home then. My family will be worried." Barley laughed.

"Milady, you come from the world of humans, no?"

"Yes, you're right."

"Then, if these are two different worlds, why shouldn't time be different as well? I am sure that whenever you leave Narnia, if you leave Narnia, either Aslan or fate will send you to whatever time you are supposed to be in."

"You make everything sound so simple." And he did. Through his reasoning, I stopped worrying. He gave me faith that everything would be all right, no matter what happened. Truly, I was glad I met Barley.

* * *

Did anyone understand Barley's argument about telling the truth? Be honest people. If you didn't understand it, don't worry, that's the reaction I wanted.

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome, flames are not. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Of Prophecies and Nobles

I am so sorry that it took so long to update. Well, longer than I had hoped to update since I know some people who don't put up new chapters for months. Thanks for all of the reviews everyone! I'm so glad that you all like it! But you must be anxious to read the chapter so I won't keep you.

I don't think I was even born when these stories were written, so how could I own them?

* * *

Barley and I walked late into the night. He set a fast pace and I could tell he was trying his hardest to get us out of the woods. When I asked about this, Barley replied that the woods weren't safe at night. I could believe him there. The woods didn't feel safe at all. I would've felt differently if it was summer and the trees were covered with leaves, or even if it was day and the sun was making the trees sparkle, but it was a very wintry night and it made the trees look cold and dismal.

I was sure we had walked a good three hours after night had fallen when Barley had us stop and search for a safe place to sleep. We found a big, hollow tree that was large enough for us both to curl up in. It was cozy and warm inside and the snow hadn't been blown in yet so the ground was still dry. Barley curled up against the right side of the tree and I stretched out beside him. I took off my coat, rolled it into a large ball, and placed it under my head as a pillow. I was comfortable, I was warm, and I quickly fell asleep.

"Milady, it's time to wake up. We must get going." Barley was pushing at my back with his paw. I groaned and rolled farther away, but Barley remained persistent. Reluctantly, I sat up and stretched. It seemed like I had fallen asleep just a second ago and now I had to wake up. I knew my hair would be really messy, my own fault for leaving it down while I slept, so I quickly ran my fingers through my hair and pulled it back into a braid. I had nothing to tie my hair with, so I tore a strip of fabric off of the bottom of my coat and used that instead.

By this time, Barley had gotten impatient and had gone outside to wait. I put on my coat and crawled out of the tree. I was surprised to see that it was still dark outside. Was it really morning?

"Barley, it's still dark out. Why are we up so early?"

"I want to get an early start so we can get to Aslan's camp as soon as possible. The quicker we get there, the quicker we'll reach safety." I could see the logic in that and there was no way I was in the mood to argue. I was already awake, what was the point of going back to sleep? So we set off on our trek through Narnia.

I hadn't realized how much my feet could hurt after one day of walking. Each step I took made my sore feet ache with pain. I figured that my feet were still adjusting to walking all day without stopping to rest, and having to break snow didn't help much either. Hopefully I would be allowed to just sit down for a day and heal when we got to Aslan's camp.

"How much longer do we have to walk today Barley?" We had only walked for twenty minutes and I already wanted to stop.

"About and hour or two, depending on whether Aslan moved his camp or not." I groaned and then stopped talking. I had to focus all of my energy on where I was walking so I wouldn't trip and fall. The pace wasn't as fast as it was before and I was grateful for that. Barley was still leading, which was expected since I had no idea where we were going, and I was busy ducking branches and icicles. After a while, I noticed that the trees started to thin and realized that we were getting close to the edge of the forest. The excitement of getting away from the trees made my spirits rise a bit. It was a few more minutes before we were out of the forest and in an open space again.

"Look, milady. Do you see those tents in the distance? That is Aslan's camp and our destination." I looked towards where Barley was facing and saw red and gold striped tents with flags flying at the top of each one. The camp didn't look too far away. It seemed about a ten minutes walk away, five minutes away if I ran.

"There are so many tents."

"Aslan is gathering the Kings' and Queens' army. Those tents belong to that army." I marveled at the sight. It was truly magnificent to behold and completely impossible to take everything in.

"We should probably start heading there, shouldn't we?" Barley looked at me with sadness.

"I probably shouldn't come with you."

"Why not?"

"Aslan knows I'm on his side, but no one else. Foxes are usually classified as the Witch's allies. When I became a spy, Aslan and I both agreed that in order to keep a convincing act, I shouldn't reveal my status as a spy until the time came to do so."

"Aslan has other spies though, right?"

"Yes. Several others are on his side and are hiding as spies, but I don't know who are spies and who aren't. We keep our identities secret from everyone except Aslan." I thought for a moment. If foxes were immediately categorized as the Witch's, then I was sure that they didn't get much appreciation in Aslan's camp, especially if they were spies. Barley was my friend though. He had proven himself loyal and dedicated to helping Aslan's cause, and I thought he deserved much more credit than he was getting.

"Well, my friend, I don't know what you think, but I believe that the time to reveal yourself has come." Barley smiled and I saw a glimmer of happiness and gratitude in his eyes before he turned and took a step in the direction of the camp. I took that as a sign that he agreed.

I walked next to Barley this time instead of letting him lead. I could see our destination so I didn't need anyone to show me where to walk. The snow seemed thinner in this area and it started to feel easier to walk. Barley's steps seemed to be light and cheery. He sniffed the air and grinned broadly. I asked him what it was that he was smiling about.

"There's change in the air, milady, big change. Something wonderful is starting to happen." I smiled and lifted my face into the wind. There was something different about the air. It felt much warmer than it had before.

We were getting close to Aslan's camp and I felt Barley move closer to my side. I could imagine how hard it would be for Barley to walk into a camp where most of its inhabitants held a grudge against him and his kind. I stroked his head in reassurance that I was still there beside him, still his friend. He was shaking and I started to regret asking him to come with me.

"Barley, you don't have to reveal yourself if you don't want to."

"No, milady. It's high time I did. I'm tired of pretending to be enemies with my own comrades and I'm tired of acting respectful towards the Witch." He lifted his head proudly and defiantly, and all regrets I had disappeared as his resolve started to show.

"Well, if you're sure."

"I'm positive, milady." We were at the border of Aslan's camp when he finished his sentence. No one was really awake at this time. It was still early and I imagined that those who were still asleep were trying to get as much rest as possible. Those who were active and heard us walking through the camp turned and stared at us. Barley stayed close by my side and I merely gazed at everything in the camp, trying to take it all in. I saw all sorts of mythical creatures that I had read about at one time or another. I saw centaurs and fawns, dryads and naiads, and several different animals, including a unicorn. We were headed towards the tent at the edge of the camp which a large centaur stood beside. The centaur looked at us suspiciously when we stood before him. I looked down at Barley and he nodded his head, as if encouraging me to speak. I turned back to the waiting centaur and took a deep breath.

"We…we have come to see Aslan." The centaur still eyed us warily as he went into the tent. I turned back to look at the camp again and saw that several of the creatures had followed us here. No doubt they wanted to see what we were doing here. The centaur strode back to his post and I saw the creatures bow down. Barley kneeled down as well and I followed his lead. I kept my eyes on the tent and caught my breath as a great lion emerged from it. I supposed that this was Aslan and I lowered my eyes in respect to him.

"Welcome, Lady Claire, daughter of Eve, and welcome to you also, Barley. You both look worse for the wear. Come and rest." I tried to say thank you to him, but I was unable to speak. Barley took one glance at me and then answered Aslan.

"Thank you, sir. Lady Claire and I are most grateful." We followed Aslan into his tent where he invited us to rest on a pile of cushions. I sat down as daintily as I could as my legs threatened to collapse from under me. I succeeded on sitting down without falling and saw the Barley was also sitting down. He was sitting to the side of the cushions instead of on them and remained close to my side. I wasn't sure whether Barley thought he was unworthy of using Aslan's cushions or if he just didn't like cushions, but Aslan seemed unsurprised at Barley's action.

"Now then," Aslan began, "what are you here for?" I wasn't entirely sure how to answer that question, especially since I didn't know the answer myself. I looked pleadingly at Barley, hoping he would have some answer for Aslan. Barley just looked back at me. He didn't know what to say either. It was up to me to provide the reply.

"Well, sir, I'm not exactly sure myself. An accident brought me to Narnia and Barley found me. When he mentioned coming to see you, I just felt that I was supposed to come." Aslan looked thoughtfully at me, like he was piecing together a giant puzzle.

"I see. And how, Barley, did you stumble upon Lady Claire?"

"She apparently got lost in the woods and had a run in with the Witch. I couldn't see if Lady Claire believed anything the Witch said, but I figured that I should come to her rescue and bring her to you. I was astonished to see that she didn't trust the Witch at all. Lady Claire actually refused my help until I explained that I was a spy for you, sir." I blushed. Looking back at that time made me realize how foolish I had been. I looked down and didn't see the smile that had spread across Aslan's face.

"Tell me, Claire, what do you know of the prophecies?" The prophecies? I remembered Barley mentioning something about a prophecy, but I knew nothing more than that.

"Nothing." Aslan pushed forward a scroll and signaled that I should open it. The paper was bordered in golden vines and leaves, and in the middle there were delicately written words in dark ink.

"Perhaps this shall enlighten you." I took that as a sign to read it. I brought the paper closer to my face and squinted at the words. Whoever had written this did not want it to be read. I strived to make out all of the words and was able, after a minute or two, to read the first piece of text.

_When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone,_

_Sits at Cair Paravel in throne,_

_The evil time will be over and done._

This was the prophecy about kings and queens, no doubt, but I didn't see how this related to me. I looked quizzically at Aslan who motioned for me to read the second piece of text. These words were easier to read and I deciphered it all in a mater of seconds.

_There will be one, a daughter of Eve of noble descent,_

_Who will help bring Narnia from bleakness to brilliance,_

_Then Narnia will be whole once more,_

_When united again is Adam's flesh and Adam's bone._

This one made even less sense than the first. A girl of noble descent? Well, there were several girls who were descended from some line of ancient nobility. But was the prophecy talking about human nobility or Narnian nobility? If it was Narnian nobility, shouldn't it be an animal? I was still new to Narnia, but I got the feeling that humans were rarely seen here.

"I'm sorry, Aslan. I still don't understand. Why is this so important to me?" Barley looked at me in shock.

"Milady, do you truly not know?" I shook my head and looked towards Aslan for an explanation. I was embarrassed, utterly embarrassed. First I came here without the slightest idea why, and then I had no clue as to what they were talking about that seemed so important for me to know. I hesitantly looked into Aslan's eyes and saw, to my surprise, the type of tender love that only a father could show to his children.

"Aslan, please, could you explain why I need to know this?"

"Dear child, look outside and tell me what you see." I stood and walked to the tent's entrance. Pushing back the tent's flap, I saw a different Narnia. Instead of snow and ice, I saw grass and flowers. There was a stream by the edge of the camp and the trees rustled with their bright green leaves. I felt inexplicably happy, like I was rejoicing in the revival of life with Mother Nature.

"It's spring now. Narnia is back to how it's supposed to be again." I continued to gaze at the land around us. The change from winter to spring had apparently happened just a few hours ago. While this would've shocked me to no end before I came to Narnia, it felt absolutely right instead.

"Claire, how do you feel when looking out at Narnia's true form?"

"I feel like dancing, or celebrating. I know that Narnia is back to how it once was, and that fills me with such joy that I can not possibly express it."

"You helped bring this about, Claire." I looked back at Aslan and saw that he too was looking out at his country. "You have brought much hope to my people, and that helped weaken the Witch's power. Now, with the kings and queens in Narnia, the time for action is drawing near."

"But sir, who is the girl of noble birth that the prophecy talked about?" I saw Barley walk to my side, but I kept my eyes on Aslan.

"You are, Claire." I stumbled a bit and was very glad that Barley was next to me to help support me. I had a feeling that he knew I would react this way.

"Me?" Aslan nodded.

"As a descendant of the first noble of Narnia, you are able to sense when something isn't right or doesn't belong in Narnia. Not many people would be able to know that the Witch was lying; they would instead succumb to the Witch's mask of kindness and gladly agree to do her bidding. You, on the other hand, were able to tell quickly that she or her helpers weren't to be trusted. Also, the fact that a fox was talking to you didn't surprise you in the least bit, though many humans would've thought they had gone crazy." That was true. I hadn't ever questioned why Barley, a fox, would be speaking the human language.

"But who am I descended from? All of my family is in England."

"If I'm not mistaken, you have a grandmother named Polly Plummer?" I nodded slowly, starting to understand that many of her stories might've been true. "She was one of the first human's to venture into Narnia. She and a boy named Digory Kirk were here when Narnia was first created and when it's first king and queen were crowned. Though they had to go back to the human world, they are considered as Narnia's first nobles and you, a descendent of Polly, have gained a title of nobility yourself."

I understood now. Everything was starting to fall into place. Why hadn't I listened to my grandmother's stories? They would've given me so much information about Narnia. I sat down shakily on a cushion and Barley curled up beside me. I heard a large crowd gathering outside and wondered why they were here. Through my shock I heard a familiar, but muffled voice declaring that they were here to see Aslan. Aslan glanced my way.

"You may stay here as long as necessary, Lady Claire. I know that this is probably a lot to take in at one time." He stepped outside and left me to my thoughts.

I was a noble. No wonder Barley had always addressed me as 'milady', he must've always known. I wondered if my grandmother knew of her title. I would be sure to tell her when I went home. We would be able to share and talk about Narnia, something that only we have seen and been to.

It took me a few minutes, but everything finally sank in and I was ready to face Narnia again. I walked outside to see a large crowd dispersing and three people standing in front of Aslan. I moved to the side so I could see their faces. As soon as I saw them, a smile broke out across my face.

"Lucy! Susan! Peter!" They looked my way and we stared at each other in shock and pure happiness that someone we knew was here in Narnia with us.

* * *

Bet you didn't expect that she was a noble! Oh! And because I know people might be asking this question, Claire can tell that the Witch is evil because she's descended from one of the first and only nobles. The Pevensies aren't related to any nobility or royalty in Narnia so they don't have this sense. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review please!

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome, flames are not. Thank you for reading!


	6. Settling In

I am soooo sorry! I was trying to finish this before I left for camp about a month ago, and then I had major writter's block once I got back. Finally, after taking a long break from writing anything, I got past the writter's block. So, hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long. No promises though, I have to get ready for my first year of high school, plus I have a skating competition coming up soon, but I'll try.

I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia in any way, as much as I wish I did. I only own the characters that are put in to move the story along, like Claire and Barley.

* * *

"Lucy! Susan! Peter!" Mixed emotions of happiness, confusion, and shock danced through each of our eyes. Lucy was the first to recover. She had always been so accepting of everything that I wasn't surprised that she was hardly ruffled at all. She broke out in a sprint towards me and I barely had time to brace myself before she launched herself into my arms.

"Claire! Oh, it's so good to see you! It was so _boring_ at the Professor's house. Nothing exciting happened until I came to Narnia and met Mr. Tumnus." Lucy was holding me in a death hug. I could hardly breath.

"Lucy! Can't…breath…!" She immediately let go and watched as I gulped in air. She looked extremely worried, so I smiled reassuringly at her.

"Sorry, Claire."

"Just try to control your enthusiasm next time." I stood up straighter to address the two standing behind Lucy. "Hello Susan. Peter."

"Milady! Are you all right?" I turned towards the voice. Only one person had called me 'milady' so far, so I was almost certain that the voice belonged to Barley. His face was peeking out from Aslan's tent. I had almost forgotten how rapidly I had left and how my departure must've scared Barley somewhat.

"I'm fine, Barley. Could you come here? I'd like you to meet some friends of mine."

"Of course, milady." The others looked quizzically at me as Barley came walking over to my side. I took a seat on the grass beside him, motioning to the others that they could sit if they wanted to. I had a feeling that there was much we would need to discuss.

"First off, Barley, you really should stop calling me 'milady' or 'Lady Claire', you're my friend, there's no need for formality." He nodded nonchalantly, but I could tell that this touched him. "Now that that's settled; Barley, meet Lucy, Susan, and Peter Pevensie."

"An honor." Barley bowed in their direction and each of them attempted a small bow back. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

"There's supposed to be one more though. Where's Edmund?" The three Pevensies looked away dejectedly. None wanted to speak, to tell of either tragedy or of treachery, but Peter let out a long sigh and decided to tell me the truth.

"The White Witch captured him." Or tell me part of the truth, anyways. From my own encounter with the Witch, I could tell that she wouldn't be one to attack outright when she could just trick them all, but I didn't want to delve deeper into their wound just yet. The safest path I could take at the moment would be to change the subject.

"So how did you find your way here, to Aslan's camp?" Curiosity took over. If it hadn't been for Barley, I would've never found my way out of those woods, much less here. I was very intrigued on how they had managed.

"We have our guides to thank. Though, we had our rough spots along the way." Peter pointed to the side where two beavers were standing. I smiled and waved at them as they looked in our direction.

"They seem very nice." Lucy looked at Peter and started to laugh. Peter had a slight pink tint to his cheeks but otherwise he didn't appear flustered.

"They may seem nice to you, but Peter was ready to turn Mr. Beaver into a new hat." Lucy was giggling and Susan was trying not to laugh. I was also restraining myself from laughing.

"Is that so? And what did Mr. Beaver do to you to deserve that treatment?" Peter only grunted in response. Lucy, Susan, and I continued teasing him until the centaur I had first seen came to our group.

"I am to show you to your tents. Please follow me." I looked to Barley to see if he would be coming as well, but he claimed that he needed to speak to Aslan about something before heading back towards Aslan's tent. The Pevensies and I got to our feet and walked through the camp until we came to two red tents. The centaur, whose name was Oreius, explained that the tent to the left was the girls' tent and the tent to the right would be for the boys. He wasn't very talkative and left us to explore our new residence.

There wasn't much in the tent. There were three beds and one large trunk. Susan and Lucy claimed the beds farthest from the tent's entrance, leaving me with the bed that was right beside the entrance. I watched as Lucy took off a belt that held a dagger and a bottle and placed it on her bed. Susan did the same thing with a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a white horn.

"Hey, Susan, what are those?" I pointed to the items on their beds so they knew what I was talking about. "When did you get them?"

"Father Christmas gave them to us. We met him on our way here. Peter got a gift too."

"Did Edmund also receive something from Father Christmas?" Susan and Lucy looked at each other hesitantly. I watched as a silent conversation passed between them. They were debating whether they should tell me the truth or not. It seemed to me that Lucy was the one arguing in favor of letting me in on the secret while Susan wasn't as trusting. They battled on for a few minutes, but Susan, being the older and more logical one, was able to drown out Lucy's protests and get her way.

"Edmund had already been captured by that time." I sighed at Susan's obvious half-lie. The only true part was that Edmund was with the Witch. I knew that the Witch was capable of kidnapping if she wanted to, but I also knew that she preferred to manipulate and deceive through my own experience with her.

"Let's look in the trunk. Maybe there are some clothes that will make us stand out a little less." I lifted the trunks lid and found three piles of clothes. Each pile had a piece of paper on top that had the owner's name written on it. I ran my fingers over the fabric. The clothes seemed to have been made with the softest and most durable fabric they could find. I looked over and saw that Susan's face was lit up with curiosity.

"What time period do you think these come from?"

"I would say around the same time that they still used armor, swords, and horses." Lucy smiled and happily picked up a sky blue dress from her pile. Susan chose a dark green dress and a long, leather belt. Susan put her dress to the side to help Lucy put hers on.

I looked through my pile twice before settling on a dress. It was a simple, pale purple dress that looked almost identical to Susan's. The under dress was of a rose colored fabric and the embroidery around the neckline and the edges of the sleeves was sewn with golden thread. I chose not to wear a belt with my dress and picked up the three pairs of shoes before shutting the trunk.

"You two might want these. The rocky ground will probably be uncomfortable without them." I placed two pairs of shoes on Susan's bed and then started putting on my own outfit.

Lucy was all ready and she sat on her bed while Susan and I finished getting dressed. I was faster than Susan with actually putting on my dress, but I needed her help to lace it up. Susan laced up my dress and I did the same for her, then the three of us went back outside.

Peter was sitting in front of his tent and I noticed that he had also donned a new set of clothes. He was wearing a light blue shirt over gray leggings. He also had a burgundy tunic and a pair of knee-high, brown leather boots. I was suddenly glad that I was walking behind Susan and Lucy as Peter looked at our group and I noticed how the blue of his shirt brought out the blue of his eyes. I had to blink several times before I was able to tear my gaze away from Peter.

"Took you three long enough." I rolled my eyes at his statement.

"There are more of us, so we're bound to take a longer time to get ready than you." Lucy and Susan nodded their heads in agreement. Peter laughed softly and stood up. We wandered around the camp for a while so we would know our way around later and, occasionally, we would point something interesting out. Our walk went in a huge circle and I was starting to feel hungry by the time we got back to our tents. As we drew closer to our tents, I noticed a familiar figure waiting there.

"Barley!" My exclamation caught his attention and walked over to our group. "What brings you here?"

"I thought you all might be hungry after your journeys." He indicated to a table set up near some rocks. There was an abundance of food laid out on the table, mainly fruits.

"Barley, you just read my mind. I'm starving!" I laughed and started walking, well, skipping, over to the table with Lucy right behind me. I looked behind me at the other two and saw them both just standing there smiling at us. "Well hurry up. If you want anything to eat, you'd best get it quickly." They laughed and came to sit with us at the table. Susan took the seat on my right side while Lucy was on my left, leaving Peter to sit between them and across from me.

We all dived into the meal, taking a few grapes here, a roll of bread there, a cup of this, a bowl of that, until we all had what we needed for the moment. The first few minutes were those of blissful ignorance. I forgot that we weren't in the world we had known, that I was in the company of people I wasn't usually around, as we chatted away merrily. I reached for a pitcher of water and my hand brushed against Peter's, who was reaching for the same thing. My hand felt like it had been shocked and I pulled away. The incident quickly brought me back to reality. I became shy once again and pulled out of the conversation, using the excuse of wanting to eat to hide my withdrawal.

Susan and Lucy bought my excuse, but I could feel Peter's eyes watching me from time to time during the meal. I chanced a glance at Peter when I knew he was looking at me. I wanted to know why he was watching me, what he was thinking. He turned away quickly when I looked at him, but his eyes flickered back to me once or twice after that. His gaze was full of curiosity, like he was trying to figure out whom I was and why I was here. I couldn't blame him, it was rather crazy that out of all the people in the world, the four, five including Edmund, of us would be the ones to be here in Narnia.

"Claire." I looked up from the apple in my hand to Lucy, who had called me. "What was your adventure like? How'd you come to Aslan's camp?" I smiled and began my story. I was really only answering Lucy's question, but I ended up capturing the attention of Susan and Peter as well. I spoke of falling through the closet, of meeting and rejecting the Witch, of meeting Barley (whom had come to listen and add to the story by this time), and of our journey through the forest, finally ending when I met Aslan. I didn't tell them that I was a noble. I didn't think I wanted anyone else to know yet, I was still trying to accept the fact I was a noble myself.

"So what about you three? Your adventures must be more exciting then mine. Hardly anything happened to me." I saw that Lucy was hoping I would ask for their story. She lit up with enthusiasm and dove into her story, starting with meeting Mr. Tumnus. It took them much longer to tell their tale than it had taken me. So much had happened to them, I was a little jealous, but I was more grateful that I didn't have to go through all that danger. I also noticed that Susan and Peter would take over for Lucy when the story strayed anywhere near Edmund's part in their adventures.

"And then we ended up here and we met up with you. That's about all." Lucy finished up her explanation with a huge smile and I could only look at them in awe.

"Are you all sure you're alright? I would be in shock after all of that." They all laughed. I didn't see what was so funny; I was being perfectly serious.

"I guess you're lucky that you had the mild trip then." I pondered over Peter's words for a few seconds and then started to smile. I _was_ very lucky. I was strong neither physically nor emotionally. I would have to work on that if I was going to be any help to Narnia.

We finished our meal contentedly and fell back onto the blanket and pillows laid down under and around the table. Lucy and Susan copied me; Peter was the only one who remained sitting up. We were running out of things to discuss and I wasn't willing to start a secret sharing circle, so I just watched the clouds. We stayed in our positions for at least an hour, just sitting there silently, and then I sat up determinedly. I couldn't bear the silence anymore.

"So, what does everyone think about Narnia?" I knew it was a boring topic, but it was better than nothing, plus, I was interested in logic-loving Susan's thoughts.

"It's beautiful in the spring." I grinned at Lucy's plain answer. It was so simple, but full of so much emotion. I could tell how much Lucy loved being here. "I love all of the trees and wide open spaces. It's so different from how our world is." I nodded in agreement. Narnia was different, but it was so lovely. Nobody could deny how beautiful it was.

"I was a little surprised that the animals could talk, but that's to be expected from humans." Peter was looking at the sky. His tone was laced with the awe he was feeling. I fidgeted with the fact that I hadn't been the least bit surprised. Was I the only one who had accepted that without question?

"Really? To be quite honest, I wasn't startled at all when Barley started talking to me." Susan and Peter looked at me.

"You weren't?" I shook my head at Susan's question. "But Barley's a fox."

"I know. I mean, obviously he's not human, no offense Barley," I glanced down at the fox curled up at my side apologetically.

"None taken." He yawned and then shifted his weight to get into a more comfortable position and I knew that he really wasn't offended so I continued what I was saying.

"But after meeting the Witch and her dwarf slave, I was starting to believe that anything could happen."

"But they're animals! Even in a different world animals shouldn't talk! And the fact that this is all in a wardrobe, I mean, logically, it just doesn't add up." I giggled at Susan's thoughts.

"Honestly, Susan, do you not realize? Talking animals? One hundred years of winter that just melts into spring in a few short hours? We're in Narnia! The rules of your logic don't apply here."

"It must be in our heads. The only possible explanation is that we're all having the same dream right now because this whole thing is just crazy!" My eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. After being in Narnia for almost two days, she still didn't believe? How could she not believe with so much evidence sitting around her?

"You're right! It _is _crazy! It's insane! It's absolutely mad! By all accounts, we should be locked away for our own good!" Susan pulled back, stunned. I had never been this outspoken with Susan before, so I didn't blame her.

"Claire…" I looked at Peter with mad determination dancing in my eyes and I held up my hand to silence his protest. I was handling this my way and I didn't need anyone's help with something I had already planned. Softening my gaze, I turned back to Susan's hurt and shocked face.

"Susan, what you see is what you get. Look around you, this definitely isn't England and I'm pretty sure that there aren't any talking animals roaming our world, but just because it's crazy doesn't make it any less real. These animals, these _people_, need help, and if we don't help them now, who will? The future's not set in stone, but we may be the only hope they have."

* * *

I feel like that was a little rushed. What about you? What do you think? You can't blame if it does feel rushed, I wanted to finish it quickly so I could get it to you guys. Anyways, please tell me what you think. You have no idea how much I appreciate each of your comments.

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Flames are not. Thank you so much for reading!


	7. Shooting Cabbages

It took me a while, but I finished this chapter. Yay! In other news, I just got through my first week of ninth grade. I'm in high school now! How scary! I just barely made it through the first week though. I was fine through Friday, but then I became sick that night. I'm all better now, thankfully, and I was determined to finish this chapter today. I hope you enjoy it. Of course, I haven't fully checked for spelling and grammer errors, so please excuse any that you find.

I do not own anything in this stroy except for Claire. If I did, I would be rich and spoiled, and since I'm not, I obviously don't own this.

* * *

I could not think of a time when I had ever looked at such a blue sky. I had certainly never seen this beautiful site in London or anywhere else before I came to Narnia. The hill I was sitting on was at the edge of Aslan's camp and was high enough that I could see every tent. It was the perfect place for me to just sit down and think.

It had only been an hour ago that Susan and I had debated over whether Narnia truly existed or was just a figment of our imaginations. We had never really decided which person's argument made the most sense and was, therefore, true, but we had just lost interest in it and agreed that we both had a point and that we shouldn't worry about it anymore. After that, I got up and wandered off to explore the surrounding area and found myself on this hill. And here on this hill I'd been sitting for the past half hour watching the blue sky start to turn darker as night approached.

I stood up, ready to return to the camp, but hesitated. The wind was softly blowing, making the grass dance around my feet and my skirt billow around me. I looked around me to see if anyone was watching. Finding no one, I quickly pulled the piece of fabric holding my hair out and unbraided my hair before spinning in the wind. It had been so long since I had felt so carefree. A smile lit up my face as I kept spinning around and around, letting the simple, childish action lift away my stress. I started to get dizzy and wobbled around a bit before completely falling down. I heard someone burst out in laughter and quickly turned to face the person. Right away I regretted turning so quick as my head started to swim but I was able to see whom my audience after a few seconds. Eyes wide and cheeks flaming, I wondered if I had ever been as embarrassed as I was now.

"Peter!" He tried to stop laughing but failed completely. "When…when did you get here?" He tried once again to stop laughing and succeeded this time. He wiped away the tears that were running down his face from laughing so hard and grinned at me.

"Just in time to see you fall." I blushed again. He sat beside me and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. I blushed once more. Why couldn't I control my blushes? "Sorry. It was blocking your face." I wanted to tell him that he didn't have to apologize, that I didn't mind his action, but I wasn't able to get out more than an 'it's ok.'

We sat next to each other in awkward silence, not sure what to say to each other. I had never been a very reserved person, especially with my friends, so the silence was really starting to bother me. However, I couldn't think of anything to say to Peter. I had acted like a child, talked, and fallen in front of him, yet I couldn't bring myself to talk to him? Well it's not that I couldn't talk to him; it was more that I didn't have anything to say to him. I could talk about the weather…no, too normal. I glanced at Peter and started to wonder why he was here. So I decided to ask.

"So, what brings you here, Peter?"

"Just wandering around the camp, seeing what's here. It was pure luck that I found this place."

"Luck?"

"Yes. Seeing you fall made me laugh harder than I have for a long time." He smiled a little sadly. I guessed that he was thinking about the war. "What made you fall anyways?" I turned my face away in embarrassment.

"I was spinning and became dizzy."

"Which made you fall?"

"Yes."

"Somehow, I don't believe that."

"Then what do you think happened?"

" I think you tripped over your own feet." I looked incredulously at him. He just grinned and leaned back on the grass. "I've seen you do it before at school. Several times."

"What! I can walk perfectly well, thank you!" I stood up and walked across the hill to prove my point, but, after a few steps, I stepped on the hem of my dress and fell, rolling a few feet sideways down the hill. Peter stood at the top of the hill looking down at me and grinning.

"Just proves that what I was saying before was true."

"Peter, be quiet." He chuckled and slid down the hill to sit beside me.

"Are you alright?" He turned towards me with concerned eyes. I smiled reassuringly.

"I'm fine. The only thing wounded is my pride." Peter smiled smugly back at me. I had never seen him smile nor heard him laugh so much. True the war had made everyone grow up faster than normal, but Peter had acted so much like an adult that it had been scary. To see him having fun like the children we were made me happy. After taking care of his siblings everyday, he deserved to relax and just be a kid. I looked at the darkening sky and sighed, realizing how late it was getting. "We should be going back soon, it's getting late."

"You go ahead, I'll be out here for a while. It's a good place to think, isn't it?" He smiled and then looked out over the camp. I stood up, knowing that trying to convince him to return to camp would probably be a waste of time. I brushed the grass off my dress and started to head back to camp.

"Peter." He turned to look at me. "You know, if you ever need to talk about something, I'll be willing to listen." With that said, I walked calmly back to camp.

I yawned as I walked behind Susan. She had woken me up early for some reason and then dragged me out to some field. Now I walked behind her carrying a basket full of fresh, green cabbages. Why I was carrying a basket of cabbages I didn't know and I wasn't going to ask. Why she wanted my help and what for was her business and I wasn't willing to prod into it this early in the morning.

"We're here." I looked around and noticed that we were in a large clearing near the stream. Susan took her basket of cabbages halfway across the empty field and set it down. "Claire, come put your basket over here." I sighed and walked over to where Susan was standing.

"Susan, why did you drag me out here?"

"Archery training. I need to practice aiming at moving objects so I need someone to throw the cabbages into the air." I rolled my eyes.

"Well you could've just told me that in the first place instead of dragging me out of bed without any explanations." Susan smiled and muttered a small apology. I sat down between the two baskets and picked up a cabbage. "Are you ready?"

"Wait until I have my bow and arrows." Susan ran over to where her bow and arrows were sitting. She must've been up for nearly an hour before me to find a good practice area. "Ready!"

I threw the cabbage as high as I could and watched as Susan took aim before releasing her arrow. Her shot was graceful and sure, but the arrow just barely scratched the edge pf the cabbage, piercing through one of the leaves.

"Nice shot!" I was amazed. Shooting an arrow at a stationary target was hard, but to shoot and hit a flying object was incredible.

"Not really. It was too high. I need to fix my timing."

"Still, I would never be able to even _hit_ a moving target."

"Are you so sure about that?" I nodded vigorously. "Then why don't you give it a try?" Susan picked up another bow that I hadn't noticed before.

"Where did that come from?" I pointed to the bow she had picked up. She smiled a little shyly.

"I asked around camp and found some centaurs that are skilled in making weapons. After explaining that the bow was for you, they agreed heartily. They also crafted some arrows for you as well." I took the bow from Susan's hands and held it delicately. It was every bit as beautiful as Susan's and just a strong too.

"Thank you." I was touched at her generosity and the generosity of the centaurs as well. I could see how much work they had put into creating this bow. It was smooth, durable, and flexible, and they had even carved some twisting vines and delicate leaves into the wood.

"It was no problem. Really! Everyone really likes you here. It wasn't that hard finding someone willing to make something for you." She picked up a quiver full of arrows and handed it to me. "These are yours as well. Now, I'm going to go over to the cabbages. See if you can hit one."

After an hour or so of training and many failed shots, one of my arrows was able to pierce through a cabbage. It wasn't a perfect shot though. Quite honestly, it was very close to being another miss.

"Good job, Claire! You got one!" I was breathing heavily and my arms were starting to be sore, but all that work had paid off. I had hit a moving object, so I was happy. "You want to try some more or have you had enough?"

"Are you kidding? I'm exhausted. It's your turn to aim at those flying, green balls." We switched places once again.

"Ready!" I grinned and threw the cabbage into the air. Susan was much more skilled than I was. It took her less time to hit her target and, once she did, she hit every single one after that, mostly hitting perfect shots. I placed my hands on my hips and looked at her suspiciously.

"How much have you been practicing?"

"I was up late almost every night since I got my bow and arrows just trying to get used to the feeling. Last night I was practicing at the archery field to see how much work I needed." I laughed.

"You're really determined, aren't you?" Her smile faded a little.

"I want to get stronger. I want to protect my family and friends, so I need to become strong enough to do that." It seemed as though everybody had something serious on their mind lately, and I could only guess that it was about Edmund and the sort of trouble he was in right now.

"I believe in you, Susan. I know that you'll be able to protect those people."

"Really?" She looked at me with hopeful eyes. I knew she was strong and that she would become even stronger in the future, that's the type of reward that determination will bring, the only problem was that Susan didn't believe in herself.

"Definitely." I started pulling Susan's arrows out of the cabbages. "Do you want to practice some more or are we finished?"

"Let's just go back to camp. Unless you want to try to hit a few more that is."

"No thank you. My arms are still sore." We laughed and gathered up the scattered cabbages. We separated the hit cabbages from the fresh ones before placing them in baskets. Susan volunteered to take the basket full of the hit cabbages, which was much fuller and heavier than the one I was carrying.

"Hey, Claire, I've been wondering," Susan broke off. She must've been thinking of how she wanted to ask it.

"Yes?"

"You were gone for a long time last night, where were you?" I looked around for the hill I had been at. I smiled as I found it.

"See that hill over there?" I nodded in its direction since my hands were full. "I was sitting up there."

"That's strange. Peter went in that direction last night as well. Did you happen to run into him?" I grinned, remembering last night's encounter.

"Actually, he ran into me. He found me on that hill and we talked for a while, but then I came back to camp."

"You're in his class at school, aren't you?" I nodded. "How does he behave in school?" I tilted my head in thought. How could I put it into words?

"Peter is…always serious, acting too much like an adult for his age. He does all of his work and pays attention like he should, but somehow, it seems like his mind is always somewhere else." I spaced out, remembering the countless times I would look over and see Peter's eyes glazed over. "Has Peter always been so serious?"

"No. Before the war started he was really laid-back, but ever since the war started and our dad went off to fight he's been like a totally different person. I think he's trying to fill the empty space our dad left."

"I understand how that feels." Susan glanced at me curiously. "My father also went away to fight in the war. He died soon after and I was given the job of caring for my mother. In some ways, I felt like I had to grow up to fill my father's place, but my mother kept me from becoming too serious."

"I didn't know that. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Susan looked ashamed and stared determinedly at her basket of cabbages.

"It's fine. Most people don't know. It's not something I like to broadcast." We were almost to our tents by that time and I could see both Peter and Lucy eating their breakfast. My stomach growled and I remembered that I had only eaten a few leaves of lettuce for breakfast. I noticed Susan staring at the wide assortment of fruits and the huge pile toast as well.

"Hey! Lucy! Peter! Get over here and help us carry these baskets!" Peter and Lucy jumped at the sound of Susan's voice. Lucy immediately stood and ran to us as she saw the load we were carrying. Peter was slower in coming to our help, but he came just the same.

"Which basket should I help with?" Lucy looked between the two as she tried to decide which would be better. I knew mine was lighter and would, therefore, be easier for her to carry than Susan's, but I knew better than to tell her that.

"Lucy, come help me with my basket. My arms are really sore."

"Ok!" She grabbed one of the handles and we walked with the basket hanging between us. Peter glanced at us as he passed before going to Susan's aide. "This is pretty heavy. What's inside here?" Lucy peered into the basket and I saw her eyes widen as she took in its contents. "Cabbages? And they all have holes in them. What were you doing?"

"Archery training." She looked confused so I elaborated. "We were practicing hitting moving targets."

"Oh. Sounds like fun." She was breathing heavier than usual by the time we reached the tents. We dropped the basket and then dropped down beside it, the other two followed behind. I grabbed the closest piece of toast from the table and started munching on it. I watched as Susan took out some arrows and started examining them.

"My arrows look alright. I thought that the impact between the arrow and its target would bend the arrow a little bit, but I guess not. You might want to check yours as well."

"Yeah." I looked around me for my bow and arrows but they were nowhere to be found. I even searched through the baskets before concluding that I had left them in the field. "I forgot to bring them back. I should probably go get them now."

"I'll come with you. I wanted to go down to the stream and wash up."

"That's alright, Susan. The washing area and the field are far away from each other. I'll just meet you there. Lucy, why don't you go with Susan as well?"

"Ok." I stood up and asked Susan for directions to the field before heading out to find my bow and arrows. I waved to the three behind me as I walked away, not knowing that I should've stayed behind, or at least taken Susan or Peter with me.

* * *

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I might have rushed it at the end, but I really needed to finish it. But anyways, please tell me what you think! It makes my day when I open up my email and see that I have a message with your reviews in it!

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Flames are not. Thanks for reading!


	8. Surprised? I am

Well, with things finally settling down and returning to what I consider normal, I was able to write this. It's a lot longer than usual, but I had a lot to say. I've started on the next chapter, but I'm still not going to promise that it'll be out quicker. Things are just crazy right now and I'm sure that it just might get crazier now that Nutcracker on Ice rehearsals are starting. So read and enjoy!

I do not own any of C.S. Lewis' original characters. If I did, that would mean I was C. S. Lewis himself, and I'm pretty sure I'm a girl. But I do own Claire and Barley, my most favorite characters that I've created. Especially Barley :D

* * *

The wind was refreshingly cool and, if I had not been so grateful for the cool wind, I might have noticed that it was a little too cold. As it was, I was completely distracted from the telltale signs surrounding me. The little things like rustling bushes and snapping braches, I was oblivious to them all.

When I reached the field where Susan and I had shot at cabbages not so long ago, the wind had ceased blowing and the whole area seemed eerily still. I scoured the field for my bow and arrows while my fluttering nerves started to increase. I was not and extremely timid girl (not that I was very courageous either), so when I started to get nervous, I knew that it was best for me to get out of the area that made me nervous. However, I was anxious to retrieve my bow and arrows and, until I had found them, I wasn't about to leave.

I smiled victoriously as I pushed aside some grass and spotted the object I was searching for. I bent down and grabbed it, but, as I started to stand up, I came face to face with a pair of gold eyes. I slowly backed away, noticing that there were two more pairs of gold eyes beside the pair I had encountered. I had only seen this eye color and sharpness on one animal. Wolves.

They circled around me in a close circle. I eyed each of them, sizing them up before pulling out an arrow. I knew I couldn't take all three of them but I could probably injure, if not bring down, one. I readied my bow and arrow for the shot.

"Put that down, girl. You're just as bad as the boy-king, pointing but never attacking." Who was he talking about? Edmund or Peter? I thought it was Peter since Edmund didn't have any weapons that I knew of. "Merrin, finish her off. We have business to attend to." The wolf, Merrin, gave a growl of agreement and continued circling me while the other two ran off.

Merrin was fierce looking and very large. A malicious, sadistic smirk was etched onto his face and his eyes shot out daggers at me. I aimed my bow and arrow at him but struggled to keep it steady with my shaking hands. I couldn't do it. I wouldn't be able to take his life, even if he was on the Witch's side. But maybe I could delay his attack.

"So, Merrin was it? Lovely name. Are you, by any chance, a servant of the Witch?"

"I am the Queen's loyal subject." His answer was growled. I was beginning to think that the growl was normal for him.

"I see. And what exactly does your queen want with me?" I twisted my body as Merrin walked around me so that I was always speaking to him.

"Your life." He was so blunt. He didn't sugarcoat anything. But, so far, he had gone along with my little game. I had to tread carefully now. I didn't want him to attack.

"Do you always circle people like this, Merrin? Or am I just special?" I hit a nerve. My game was over; the thin string I had been walking on was broken. I saw something in his eyes snap and he pulled back his lips in a feral growl.

"You are a hindrance." With that he pounced. I was unable to defend myself from his attack. His teeth bit into my outstretched, left arm and I yelped in pain as he tore my flesh. I brought my leg up and kicked him off, watching his every move cautiously. He pounced at me several more times and I barely dodged each one, gaining scratches on my stomach, arms, and legs as I spun away form him. Merrin wasn't just pouncing; he was pinpointing lethal spots so that I had to work hard to keep him from reaching his target. Pain beyond pain raced through my body, but I had to keep fighting, I couldn't give up now. Then, after ten minutes of fighting, Merrin jumped and used his paws to push me to the ground. My back hit the dirt and several rocks before my head crashed through some grass. I didn't have to struggle much to get him off as I was larger, but I realized that this fight couldn't go on any longer or I would lose. Unsteadily, but quickly, I raised my bow and aimed the arrow before losing my nerve. One quick look at my injured and bleeding arm made me come to reality. I had to do this, for myself and for everyone else, so I released the arrow and let it fly.

Merrin fell to the ground. My arrow had pierced his chest and hit his heart. Immense relief and guilt flowed through me. He was dead and I was responsible for taking a life. I kneeled on the dirt with trembling knees and inspected my bruised and bloodied body. So close. I had been so close to losing my life. I stayed frozen in the middle of field, shaking uncontrollably, until Susan's horn pulled me from my shock. Suddenly, I knew what the other wolves' business was.

All pain was pushed away as I focused on reaching Susan and Lucy in time. The trees were green and brown blurs, twigs scraped my face and arms but I paid no attention. Heart racing with fear and adrenaline, I dashed as quickly as possible but the forest seemed to stretch on forever. I prayed with all my might that Susan and Lucy were somehow safe, that help had come already.

I reached where they were and saw them in the tree with Peter defending them and Aslan pining down one of the two wolves. Seeing Peter in the way of danger didn't lessen any of my worrying. If anything, it just made me worry more. I stood at the edge, behind Aslan's group, watching anxiously as the wolf and Peter circled each other. The wolf leaped on Peter, who was unable to dodge, and Susan, Lucy, and I screamed. They fell back onto the ground, the lifeless looking wolf on top. Susan, Lucy, and I rushed to Peter, hoping he wasn't hurt. We kneeled by his side and sighed in relief as he pushed off the wolf. Susan and Lucy pulled him into a tight hug. I heard a yelp and looked back to see that Aslan had released the wolf.

"Follow him," he instructed his group and then turned to look at us. "He'll lead you to Edmund." The group took off on a chase after the running wolf. "Peter, clean your sword." Peter took a handful of grass and started to wipe the wolf's blood off his sword.

"Claire, are you alright?" I turned to face Susan and Lucy's concerned gazes. Most of my injuries had stopped bleeding, only the deep wound in my arm and the fresh scratches I had received on my way here had yet to stop.

"I'm fine. Can you two help me stand up?" They reached down to help lift me up, but as soon as I stood, my legs collapsed from under me. They were tired and sore from running here, not to mention all of the scratches I had.

"Maybe you should just sit down." I nodded at Susan's suggestion, it sounded reasonable. I winced as I bent my legs. It seemed sitting down was just as painful as standing up.

"Are you sure you're alright?" This time it was Peter who was concerned. There was worry in his eyes and a little bit of anger. I wondered whom his anger was directed towards.

"Peter, I'm fine. Really." Peter looked ready to disagree as he glanced at my wounds but I shook my head. "Peter, go. You don't want to keep Aslan waiting." I nodded my head towards Aslan, who was watching us fondly. Peter cast one last lingering, worried look at me before going to Aslan.

"Please kneel." Peter went down on one knee holding the hilt of his sword and his head bowed. Aslan placed his large paw on Peter's shoulder and kept it there for a few seconds before dropping it. "Rise Sir Peter Wolfsbane, knight of Narnia." Peter grinned and stood up. He was absolutely glowing with happiness and pride, and I couldn't be happier for him. He turned back to us and immediately became serious again.

"Claire." I sighed. It seemed that now Peter's business with Aslan was over, I had his full attention.

"I told you, I'm fine." Peter kneeled down next to me and grabbed my left arm. I yelped from the sudden pain.

"Don't you dare tell that you're fine! Look at this arm! And you could barely stand earlier." He let go of my arm and turned to his sisters. " Susan, go get some towels and fabric we can use as bandages. Lucy, please go get your cordial and some food to bring down here. It'd probably be best not to move Claire until she's all bandaged up." The two ran off on their chores.

"I don't need the cordial!" I called to Lucy.

"But-"

"No! Leave it for when we _really_ need it. She nodded and ran after Susan. Aslan watched the whole seen with amusement in his eyes before nodding to me as he also left, knowing that I would be taken care of.

"Peter, it's really not that bad." I tried to reason with him but he didn't listen.

"How did this happen?" I didn't particularly want to tell him. Knowing that a wolf had attacked me would just make him worry more.

"I fell." It wasn't a lie. Completely. Most of these wounds were caused by me falling; I just didn't tell him that a wolf hade made me fall.

"I don't believe you." I must not have been a very good liar. Peter had been able to see through my lies easily lately. "Please, I want the truth from you."

"Which is exactly what _I_ want from _you_!" Now, normally I was a person who let people keep their private matters to themselves, but after today's events, the walls I had built around my frustrations and worries came crashing down. Peter wanted the truth from me? He needed to start by telling me the truth first.

"What are you talking about?" Peter looked surprised.

"Edmund, Peter! I'm talking about Edmund! I'm worried about him too, you know, and you lying to me about what happened is just making it worse for me." My eyes became watery as I looked pleadingly at Peter. He turned his face away from me before he spoke.

"I'd rather not talk about it. It's really nothing that should concern you." I took in a sharp breath.

"It very well is my business! You, Susan, and Lucy have become like my family, so why shouldn't I feel like Edmund is my family as well? Peter, I know we've only just started becoming friends, but, impossibly, I feel like I've known you for years. All I'm asking right now is for you to trust me." Tears of worry and aggravation streaked down my face. Why couldn't he just understand?

"And what of you? Even if I gave you my trust you probably wouldn't extend the same courtesy." I laughed.

"Peter you idiot! Don't you know? You've had my complete trust ever since Lucy and Mary had first met. I don't cry in front of just anyone." He looked up at me again with a slightly guilty expression. "Please, if you want the truth from me, all I ask is trust and the truth from you." Peter wiped away a tear from my face and sighed.

"Edmund was _captured_, in a way. He was captured by the Witch's lies or enchantments or whatever it was that convinced him to return to the Witch and betray us. So, what I told you really wasn't a lie at all."

"But it wasn't the truth either."

"I know, and I guess that just makes it worse. It's really just my shame that kept me from telling you. Lucy and Susan would never admit it, but I know this is all my fault. I was too hard on him. If I hadn't been so tough on him, if I hadn't tried to fill Dad's place, maybe he would be here now." I took Peter's hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Peter, it's not your fault. I know how it feels when your father is away at war. You feel like you have to grow up and take care of everyone in his place. It's true that you act too much like a grownup," Peter smiled here, " but Edmund also acts too much like a spoiled child. He needed your guidance."

"He didn't have to go to the Witch though."

"You're right, he didn't. But part of the Witch's magic is persuasion. I experienced it myself when I first came to Narnia." Peter looked at me curiously. I had forgotten that I had never told them about this part of the story; I had felt it best to leave the Witch out of our conversation at the time.

"How did you resist it then?"

"Because my grandmother is considered one of the first nobles of Narnia, I am also Narnian nobility by blood. When there is noble blood running through your veins, you're immune to anything that doesn't belong in Narnia. Or so Aslan says. I think it's because I had nothing to convince me to follow what she said." He nodded in understanding. We sat in silence for a few moments.

"Claire, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"It's perfectly natural. But you really shouldn't let pride and shame get in the way of telling me, I would never judge you." Peter gripped my hand tighter and I winced as bruises I didn't realize I had started to throb. Peter saw me wince and immediately let go of my hand.

"Sorry. I forgot you were hurt." He grabbed a towel from the two Susan and Lucy had left behind, dipped it into the stream, and started to dab the scratches on my arms and face.

"Peter you don't have to do that, let me."

"No." His response was quick and firm and it silenced any other protest I had. "Will you tell me what happened now?"

"I was attacked by a wolf." I watched his movements stop and his eyes harden with anger. His reaction was exactly how I had thought it would be.

"A wolf did this to you?" I nodded. "What happened to it? I swear, when I find it I'm going to kill it for hurting you."

"Too late. When the wolf attacked me, I had my bow and arrows. I had to shoot the wolf to save myself. His attacks could've been deadly if I hadn't moved." I lowered my eyes, thinking back on the guilt I had felt once I had killed Merrin.

"Well, I'm glad he's already dead. To tell you the truth, I don't think I could've taken his life. Hurting a living creature isn't a very pleasant feeling, is it?" I shook my head.

"Claire! Peter!" We turned and saw both Lucy and Susan sprinting towards us. In Susan's arms were bunches of towels and a new dress, for which I was extremely grateful, and Lucy carried her cordial on her belt and a basket of food in her arms. "I didn't know how many towels and bandages we would need. Is this enough?" Susan let them fall out of her arms into a pile at her feet.

"That might be a little too much." Peter said, glancing warily at the pile. "Claire's face and arms are fine, just this wound here on her left arm. You should probably check her back and legs though."

"What about you?"

"I have something to do. I'll see you three later." Peter stood up slowly and walked away. I laughed. He was probably going to talk to Aslan and just didn't want to tell us.

"Well, let's get you cleaned up." Susan picked up a fresh towel and threw it to Lucy. "Lu, you was the scratches and I'll bandage them."

They rushed about, bandaging up the more serious wounds and washing the dried blood off the rest. The work was mostly easy and quick; my back was really the only spot that caused trouble for the two. It was covered in deep cuts from where I had fallen on top of the rocks. The dried blood and dark bruises made it look sickeningly gruesome.

"How did this happen?" Lucy had frozen at the sight of my back and called Susan's and my attention to it. I sighed as I started to retell my story from where I had first met the wolves until I had reached this stream. They stayed silent through most of my tale, uttering only a few small gasps here and there.

"Did you tell Peter this?" I nodded at Susan's question.

"Peter's going to get very protective of you for the next few days." Lucy started to clean my back. I winced as she hit on of the deeper cuts. "Sorry."

"Why would he get protective?"

"When someone he cares for gets hurt, Peter tends to…hover and worry. We've gotten used to it, but we just wanted to warn you to be prepared. And you're sure you don't want to use my cordial?" I nodded, knowing that other people would need it more. "Then, Susan, her back is ready to be bandaged."

"Ok. I'll be quick, Claire."

"Don't worry, take your time." Susan was quick. I could tell she had experience from the many years of looking after her siblings. She finished what would've taken hours of work for me to do in about twenty minutes. Lucy had set out our food while Susan was finishing up. When she was all done, Susan handed me the dress she had brought.

"I found this in the trunk. I hope it fits."

"Thank you!" The dress was a pretty burgundy color with gold and bronze trim around the neck, waist, and hem. When I slipped it on, I noticed that the neck was somewhat scooped and rested on my shoulders and the back scooped a bit lower than the front. The sleeves ended in points and the skirt just barely touched the ground. Susan helped me lace up the back before we sat down to eat.

I picked up a red apple and bit into it. My eyes widened at how delicious that apple tasted to me at that moment. I suddenly became ravenous and quickly devoured the apple. It must've been the shock catching up to me. I noticed that Lucy and Susan also had an increase in their appetites.

"Lady Claire! Are you alright?" Would people never stop asking me that? Barley skidded to a stop next to me and started to anxiously check for major injuries.

"For the last time, I am _fine_! Look! I'm still alive with no broken bones or head injuries. I think I'll be fine." Barley sighed. "How did you know I was here anyways?"

"I ran into King Peter outside of Aslan's tent. He told me you were hurt and asked me to come check on you." Lucy and Susan gave me an "I told you so" look. I sighed.

"You know Barley, Peter really isn't king yet. And didn't I ask you to just call me Claire?" Barley grinned. I pulled out two more apples and offered one to Barley. He shook his head and gave me a quiet assurance that he wasn't hungry. Shrugging, I continued to eat up both apples before realizing something. "I don't have my bow and arrows."

"What?" Susan glanced around the area, looking for my weapon.

"How funny. This whole thing started when I forgot them and now it's ending with me forgetting them again." I gave a small smile, truly thinking it was funny, but feeling vulnerable without the bow and arrows by my side.

"I'll get them." Barley stood.

"That's ok, Barley. I can get them tomorrow. I really don't want to trouble you."

"It's no trouble. It's a pleasure." I smiled and thanked him as he went to find my weapon.

"We should get back to camp." I sighed.

"So soon?" Susan nodded. Lucy packed the extra food and Susan placed the spare towels in the tent by the creek for later before coming to help me walk. It was a slow walk to camp (we had to go at a snail's pace because of my legs) but, luckily, the camp wasn't very far away. I saw Peter sitting at the edge of camp, staring at nothing. That is, he was until he saw us. Once he did, he was at Lucy's side in an instant.

"I can take it from here." I was confused. Lucy and Susan grinned at each other before backing away from me. My legs gave out once Susan pulled away. Peter caught me in his arms before I hit the ground and started to walk towards the tents.

"Peter! Put me down!"

"No." He was quick to answer, as always.

"I _can_ walk by myself."

"No." I glared up at him and crossed my arms.

"You're not going to let me do _anything_ on my own today, are you?" A hint of a smile graced his lips and he looked down at me playfully.

"Definitely not." I looked away stubbornly.

"Lucy and Susan were right."

"About what?"

"You're way too overprotective." This time he laughed. I blushed a little. His laugh was pleasant, warm, comforting. Something that I knew I would never be able to get enough of. I was glad that I could spot our tents in the distance. Peter had way too much influence over me.

"Well, I can't argue with that. They know me too well."

"Yes, but you're their brother; you're supposed to be protective of them. What I don't get is why you're protective of me."

"Didn't you say earlier that you considered me part of your family? Well, I consider you part of my family as well. So why shouldn't I be protective." Were Peter's cheeks a little pinker or was I just going crazy? I didn't have much of a chance to investigate as we had reached my tent. He strolled into the tent and set me on the first bed he saw. "Stay."

"You can't honestly expect me to just lay here."

"I can and I do. You need to rest." I struggled to sit up feebly and had to give up when I hadn't made any progress. Peter truly had the right to be protective today, I was pathetic.

"Fine, I'll stay here. I can't get up anyways." He smiled triumphantly as I turned away stubbornly, and, no matter what Peter said, no matter how much it hurt; I was determined to eventually get out of that claustrophobic tent.

It was late at might, maybe very early morning. Everyone was asleep as I crawled out of the tent to sit in front of the dying fire. I couldn't rest anymore; I had had too much rest today. Plus, Edmund's possible return had started to make me feel restless. I welcomed the breeze that washed over me, reveling in the outdoors. The fire had become nothing more than glowing, orange embers, illuminating only a few inches around it. I huddled as close as I could to suck in as much heat as possible. I wasn't sure how long I sat there staring at nothing. It might've been a few minutes, it might've been a few hours, I couldn't tell. The sky grew gradually lighter the longer I sat there though, so it must've been a few hours.

"Milady?" I looked up from the coals and saw a cheetah standing before me. My eyes widened as I realized that he had been with the group searching for Edmund earlier.

"Edmund?" My voice came out in a whisper. The cheetah looked over to a centaur in the distance. Standing up, I noticed a figure standing beside the centaur. The centaur nudged the figure towards me and the figure started to walk slowly my way. My heart raced in anticipation as the figure entered the glow the dying fire gave off. It was Edmund.

"Claire?" He looked shocked and confused. I would have to explain everything later.

"Edmund." We stood facing each other for a moment. Then I quickly pulled Edmund into my arms. "Welcome back, Edmund."

"It's good to be back."

* * *

So, there you have it. Chapter 8. So...what did you think? Love it? Hate it? In between the two? It might've been a little rushed, i don't know, but I wanted to get it to you guys while things were still somewhat normal for me.

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames are not. Thanks for reading!


	9. Reformed and Returned

Hello again, ummm.... I really have no excuse for how late this is. I finished writing it a long time ago, I just wasn't able to type it up for a while. I meant to get this out to you about two weeks ago, but I wasn't able to finish typing it before my family and I went out of town. We just got back a few days ago and then I was grounded from my computer because my room wasn't clean. I'm ungrounded now but I realized just how much time I wasted when I could've gotten this out to you. Oh well, as Aslan says "what's done is done". Enjoy!

I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia in any way, shape, or form. If I did, the four Pevensies would stay in Narnia forever and live happily ever after and the White Witch would be much more humiliated than she is. I do own my characters, Claire and Barley (and the other random ones scattered throughout the story).

* * *

"Oh, Edmund! Look at you! You're a mess. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's just a few scratches." He looked away as he spoke. I was afraid he had been hurt much more than I could see. I decided to just let the subject drop for the moment and let him tell me if he wanted to.

"Go get some rest. You look exhausted." Edmund turned, hesitated, and then turned right back around to face me.

"Claire, I know we aren't exactly good friends, but could you… can I just talk to you? I just need to tell someone and I… I just can't face the others just yet." I smiled gently.

"Of course you can talk to me."

"Promise not to tell Susan and Lucy, and especially not Peter." He looked at me with pleading and frightened eyes.

"I promise." He sighed in relief and thanked me softly. I turned to the cheetah who still stood by us. "Could you excuse us?" I asked the cheetah. He nodded and walked off to another part of the camp. Edmund and I sat down. I waited for him to organize his thoughts and decide what to say.

"Claire, I feel so ashamed. I let my selfishness and anger betray my family and put them in danger. The Witch was able to trick me because of my weakness."

"No, Edmund. You weren't weak. You were angry and irrational and caught off guard, but you weren't weak. We've all been like that at some point of our lives." Edmund smiled sadly at my attempt to comfort him. He shook his head and stared at the ground.

"There's more to it than that. The things I've done, the things I've helped the Witch do, I feel so guilty for them." We sat together for the next hour, Edmund explaining and lamenting about his experience and me trying to comfort him any way I could. The sun rose higher in the sky and others started to wake up as Edmund and I were finishing our conversation.

"Edmund, you really shouldn't blame yourself. You obviously are sorry for what you did and you're determined to be punished for it, but I really don't think that's necessary."

"It's all my fault though."

"Oh, stop it! The Witch is very persuasive and she just happened to find something to use against you, you did nothing wrong and I don't blame you at all." Edmund looked a little more hopeful after I said that, but guilt still filled his eyes more than anything else.

"I don't blame you either."

"Aslan!" As Edmund stared wide-eyed at the majestic lion I stood up and bowed my head respectfully to him. Edmund also stood and bowed his head, following my lead.

"Edmund Pevensie, Son of Adam, welcome." Both Edmund and I lifted our heads. Aslan smiled warmly at us and I could see Edmund start to relax. "Come with me, Edmund, we have much to talk about. Claire, if you'll excuse us."

"Of course, Aslan." I watched the two walk away towards a hill to talk in private before walking away myself. I sat down outside my tent and began to think back on what Edmund had told me. The poor boy had been through so much and, even worse, he was blaming it on himself. I cursed the Witch for treating people the way she did, for using people to get what she wanted and then disposing them once she got her desire.

Peter emerged from his tent. I saw him glance at Edmund and Aslan talking before he also glanced at where I sat silently fuming. Susan and Lucy also decided to come out of our tent. Their faces held a mixture of shock, relief, and joy as they saw their brother.

"Edmund!" Lucy was about to run over to her brother but she was stopped by Peter. However, her cry drew their attention to our group and Aslan quickly finished his conversation with Edmund. I stood up and walked over to Lucy, Susan, and Peter, but stayed a bit to the side of the group. I wasn't really part of their family and they needed to welcome their brother back. Besides, I had already talked to Edmund earlier.

Edmund walked slowly to us with his head hung. I could see that he was nervous about how his family would greet him. Aslan walked with him, giving Edmund silent encouragement. There was a moment of silence once they had reached our group before Aslan spoke.

"What's done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund about what has passed." Aslan left us after he said that. Edmund looked nervously at our group and I offered him a reassuring smile.

"Hello." The one word spoke of all the awkwardness and anxiety he felt. Lucy couldn't hold back anymore. She stepped away from the group and embraced her brother tightly. Once the surprise had worn off, Edmund hugged her just as tightly. Susan was next and I noticed how happy Edmund was that both of his sisters had welcomed him back.

"Are you alright?" Lucy eyed the scratches on his face like I had earlier.

"I'm a little tired." Edmund, who had looked pale and sickly before, was glowing with happiness. He looked so much healthier than before.

"Get some rest." We all looked at Peter. He inclined his head towards the tent. Edmund's face fell a bit and he walked dutifully to the tent. Peter looked a little troubled and seemed to argue with himself about something. After standing silently for a few moments he seemed to decide something and turned towards Edmund's retreating back. "And Edmund," Edmund looked questioningly at his brother, "try not to wander off again." They smiled at each other and then Edmund turned and went into the tent. Susan and Lucy also drifted away, murmuring to each other how hungry they were. They probably went to go find some breakfast.

"Peter? Are you alright?" I watched him as he sat down on the grass. He seemed fragile and unsure of himself.

"Yeah. I just don't know what to say to him. We aren't exactly close, so he probably wouldn't want to share his troubles with me. And, because of that, I'm not sure how to be a good big brother to him." I kneeled down next to him.

"Peter, believe me when I say that you _are_ being a good big brother. You care for him and his well-being and you seem to put yourself in danger to make sure he's safe. I'm an only child and so many people have come up to me at one point and said that I'm lucky not to have a sibling. But, truthfully, I wish I had an older sibling like you." He sat there for a few minutes, taking in what I had said.

"How do you always know just what to say to me?" I giggled a bit. Deciding that the time for serious conversation had passed, I made my tone light and teasing as I answered.

"I could ask you the same thing. Maybe it's because I know you so well."

"Well, that can't be right. We've only just started to get to know each other." He replied playfully.

"Are you sure? It seems like I've known you for a much longer time." I smiled softly at him. We sat in silent companionship, not really needing to say anything for a while. I started to get hungry though, so I broke the silence. "Anyways, we should follow your sisters' example and find some breakfast. I'm starving!" Peter laughed and we walked through camp together.

It didn't take long to find what we were seeking. I immediately sat down and started grabbing food from the large pile. The other three laughed at my large appetite. Time quickly passed between good food and happy chatter, so I wasn't surprised when Edmund eventually found us.

"Hello Edmund! Get enough sleep?" Edmund nodded a little sleepily, showing that he had just woken up. "Well, grab a seat and some food then. You must be hungry." Peter stood up so Edmund could take his place and he went to lean against a large boulder instead, noiselessly watching our group. I soon learned that Edmund had an appetite as large as mine, especially when it cam to toast. He piled his plate high with it and quickly devoured each piece.

"Narnia's not going to run out of toast, Ed." Edmund smiled at Lucy's statement and slowed down his eating. "Honestly, you're as bad as Claire."

"Hey! Edmund and I have been awake a lot longer than any of you, we have an excuse!" They laughed. I sat with a slight scowl on my face but I was really just as happy as them. I looked over at Peter. He had a thoughtful look on his face.

"I'm sure they'll pack something up for the journey home." I had had a feeling he had been thinking in that direction.

"We're going home?" Susan's question mirrored my own.

"You are." He came and sat down with us to explain better. "I promised Mum I'd keep you three safe, but it doesn't mean I can't stay to help."

"They need us. All five of us."

"Lucy, it's too dangerous. You almost drowned, Edmund and Claire were almost killed!"

"Which is why we have to stay." We all turned to Edmund. "I've seen what the White Witch can do, and I've helped her do it, and we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it!" Edmund made a good point. These people were counting on us, we couldn't just abandon them.

"Claire, I can't tell you to go home, but I wish you would. You wouldn't be in danger then." Peter was being protective again. I was flattered by his concern but, at the same time, I was hurt that he didn't think I could take care of myself.

"No. I'm staying. I'm not helpless you know. Besides, I have a prophecy to fulfill." Peter remained quiet after that. In fact, we all were quiet for a few minutes until Susan spoke up.

"Well, I guess that's it then." She stood and started walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"To get in some practice." Susan grabbed her bow and arrows from where they sat. "Come on, Claire. I bet I can hit closer to the bull's-eye than you can."

"I beg to differ! I've actually gotten a lot better!"

"I bet that I can beat both of you." Susan and I laughed at Lucy's challenge.

"You're on!" Lucy, Susan, and I shook hands before rushing off, leaving two very stunned boys in our wake.

There were several different targets in the archery field. We chose one in the middle and played rock-paper-scissors to decide the order in which we would shoot. I wanted to go last so I could see how much I needed to beat the other two by, but, of course, I ended up shooting first.

Taking an arrow from my quiver, I judged the distance from where I stood to the target. I took my position, aimed my arrow, and let it fly. The arrow whistled through the air, racing in a pin-straight line before hitting the target in the middle of the green ring.

"Nice shot. You actually have improved." I gently poked Susan in the back with my bow for her comment. She gasped in surprise but otherwise remained calm. Focusing her aim on the target, Susan took a deep breath and shot. To my immense surprise and pleasure, Susan's arrow was actually further from the bull's-eye than mine was, sticking out from where it sat on the edge of the green ring. I grinned a bit smugly at her as she stepped back. Lucy was the next to go and, for the first time since she challenged us, I realized that she didn't have a bow. I needn't have worried though. She used her dagger instead of an arrow.

Lucy took only a few moments to aim and throw her dagger. It flew straight and fast, hitting the target in the center of the bull's-eye. Lucy won, no doubts about that. Susan and I laughed a bit at the shock of Lucy beating us.

Hoof beats and shouts caught our attention. Peter and Edmund rode into the clearing, Peter on a pure white unicorn while Edmund rode a light brown horse.

"Come on, Ed! Sword point up, like Oreius showed us!" It was obvious that the two were working on their swordsman ship.

"Engarde!" I beamed as I saw the looks on their faces. They were having the time of their lives, Edmund especially.

"Now block!"

"Peter! Edmund!" We all jumped at Mr. Beaver's call. Edmund's horse actually reared back in surprise.

"Whoa, horsey!" The horse turned to glare at Edmund.

"My name is Philip."

"S-sorry." I stifled a laugh and turned back to Mr. Beaver. His grave face sobered me up.

"The Witch has demanded a meeting with Aslan. She's on her way here!" Well, if he didn't have our attention before, he certainly had it after what he said. For the Witch to come to an area where she would be surrounded by enemies and Aslan must've meant that it was an important issue.

"Peter," he turned to look at me, "we have to get back to the camp." Peter nodded his head in agreement. I was pretty sure he was thinking along the same lines I had been.

"Philip, do you think you could carry Edmund, Susan, and Lucy?" Peter was starting to take charge. I had to admit, Peter was a very good leader when you needed him to be.

"I think I can." Philip eyed Susan and Lucy cautiously, as if he was trying to determine their weight.

"Good. They'll go with you and Claire will be with me. We can get there quicker this way." Finding no argument or problem with Peter's plan, we scurried to our places. I tried to determine how I was supposed to get on the unicorn, eventually giving up and resorting to Peter.

"A little help would be nice." Peter grinned.

"It's not that hard, Claire."

"Try it in a dress and then say that to me." He stretched out a hand to me. I grasped his hand and he helped pull me up in front of him. The other three had already gone ahead but we quickly caught up to them and, not long after that, we reached the part of camp that held Aslan's tent, and now the quickly gathering crowd as well. I hopped down from the unicorn, Peter close behind and the other three following our example. I looked around. It seemed that almost everyone was already here.

"Let's find a place closer to the front."

"Good idea, Susan." Susan led the way through the assembling crowd to the front. I saw that there was another group forming across from us and that there was a wide pathway between the two groups. I also noticed something else. "Look over there, by the trees." The other four glanced at where I had indicated to see what I was talking about. A mass of animals and mythical creatures were emerging from the trees and moving in our direction.

"Who are they?" Lucy sounded a bit nervous. She was clutching Susan's hand tightly.

"They're some of the Witch's followers." This time it was Edmund who sounded nervous, and he had good reason to be from what he had told me. I would've been scared too had I been in his position.

"You five might want to stand a bit back. We don't know what the Witch wants nor what she'll do when she sees you." I looked down at the new addition to our group. Barley was sitting calmly beside me, watching the Witch's group warily.

"She'll be surrounded by enemies though, what could she do?"

"That's very true, King Peter, but you forget that the Witch is also bringing her group with her. If worst comes to worst it could quickly turn into a fight for Narnia. That's why we have weapons ready." For the first time I noticed the swords resting against the tents in an innocent manner. They were completely hidden by the large mass of people a few minutes later.

Everyone was chatting in hushed voices as we watched the Witch and her followers draw near. We were all wondering what the Witch wanted with Aslan. I just wanted her to get here, meet with Aslan, and leave. As the Witch came closer, I saw that she was sitting on a chair that a few of her followers were carrying. Her dwarf walked in front of the procession and announced her arrival unnecessarily.

"Jadis, queen of Narnia. Empress of the Lone Islands." I boiled with rage about the titles she had stolen from Aslan and even more about her attitude. She looked about the camp haughtily and with disgust, especially when she looked towards us. I knew the Witch had recognized me when I saw her glare murderously at me. I shivered and stepped back a bit behind Peter and Susan.

"Claire? Are you alright?" I shook my head at Peter's question. Never had I known that a single look could affect me so much until the Witch looked my way. Peter noticed how shaky I was and took my hand in his to help comfort me. I calmed down after the Witch had stopped glaring at me and turned to speak to Aslan. It seemed to me that her power and hate was a lot stronger when it was directed at a single object. I squeezed Peter's hand once to signal I was fine before slipping my hand out of his.

"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan." The Witch's voice was as cold as the winter she had once cast over Narnia. Murmurs rose in the crowd around us, some cursed the Witch while others wondered why the Witch had brought that up.

"His offense was not against you." Aslan was calm and stern as he said this.

"Have you forgotten the laws on which Narnia was built?" Her voice held an accusatory tone. Anger flashed through Aslan's eyes.

"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch! I was there when it was written." His low growl was the most menacing thing I had ever heard. The Witch must've been surprised as well for it took a moment for her to respond.

"Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property."

"Try and take him then!" Peter stood in front of his brother with his sword pointed at the Witch. She looked at him impatiently.

"Do you really think that mere force will deny me my right, little king?" she said scornfully. I glanced at the other three, detecting that they were still frozen in shock. Sighing, I stepped forward and put my hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Not here, Peter." My voice was low so that only Peter could hear it. He lowered his sword slowly, looking defeated, and allowed me to pull him back into the crowd. The Witch turned back to Aslan, but she spoke to the whole crowd.

"Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water. That boy," she pointed to Edmund, who had his head down, "will die on the Stone Table, as is tradition! You dare not refuse me."

"Enough!" All heads turned to Aslan. "I shall talk with you alone." They went into Aslan's tent and the rest of us sat down in our places to wait.

Edmund sat with his head hung and hands trembling. He started to pick at the grass, not uttering a word and staring at the same spot.

"Edmund?" He didn't look up when I called but continued to tear apart the grass. I tried again and got the same results. Susan and I glanced at each other worriedly.

"Ed?" This time Susan tried. She had about as much luck as I did. So did Peter when he attempted to gain Edmund's attention. Finally, it was Lucy's turn. Lucy took a different approach. She sat down across from Edmund and grasped his hands so he couldn't pluck the grass out anymore. That made him look at her.

"Edmund, it'll be alright. None of us are going to let the Witch take you, no matter what she says. We haven't given up and Aslan hasn't given up, and neither should you." Lucy held Edmund's gaze determinedly, trying to let her words sink in. She released his hands and sat down in the spot she had occupied earlier.

Her actions worked from what we could see. Edmund had stopped picking at the grass and, instead, started a conversation. We chatted a bit, not really knowing what we were talking about. Truthfully, we were too anxious to find out Edmund's fate to care about anything else. Time passed slowly. Eventually, Edmund started picking at the grass again. Whether this was out of nervousness or just a need to do something I didn't know. We sat in silence, waiting, just waiting.

The Witch came out, glared at us once, and went back to her group. Everyone stood and watched for Aslan. When he came out he wore such a sad face that I started to fear the worst, until he spoke.

"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood." A great cheer rang out. We celebrated in our group, relief and joy filling us up.

"How do I know your promise will be kept?" We quieted down a bit. Aslan took a deep breath and let out a mighty roar, making the Witch collapse onto her seat. We laughed and continued our celebration. Cheers and congratulations were rippling through the crowd. I was filled to the brim with happiness. Edmund was free. The Witch no longer had any hold over him, and that was why we celebrated. We celebrated for his freedom and his complete return to us.

I turned towards Aslan, expecting to see him smiling and rejoicing with as well, but I saw something else. The Witch had departed long ago, taking any claim to Edmund with her, but Aslan still held a look akin to mourning on his face. I wondered at his expression, wanting to understand what was causing it, and I promised to myself that I would talk to Aslan about it later. And, with that decided, I joined in the ongoing celebration once more.

* * *

Well, there you have it. Chapter 9. It was so much longer than all the rest of my chapters, or so it seemed to me, and I was surprised at its length. Well, now it's time to start working on chapter 10. I have no idea how long it'll take to complete the next one, so try to be patient.

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Flames are not. Thanks for reading!


	10. Night of No Stars

I finally got chapter 10 finished! I was starting to feel guilty about not getting it to you guys.... oh well, you can't really blame me, I've been extremely busy. First I had my birthday to celebrate (yay for now being 15!), then I had solo and ensemble to prepare for (which went very well, in cae you were wondering. I now get to letter this year), then I had this sleepover thing at my church, and finally my teachers have decided to torture us and give us lots of major projects, which includes a research paper, a European country slideshow, and an oral project in spanish.... it was tiring, but, at loong last, I've finished this chapter :D yay!

I do not own anything that C.S Lewis owns, mainly because he already owns it. However, Claire and Barley are mine, I have now officially copyrighted them :D

* * *

Lucy and Susan were asleep in their beds, exhausted from the day's events. I was still awake and restless. Aslan's mournful look still plagued my mind and I tried unsuccessfully to piece together whatever had caused that look. My mind filed through hundreds of possibilities, none of them seemed to fit and some were just plain crazy. I had promised myself that I would talk to him tomorrow but, for some reason, I had a feeling that tomorrow would be too late.

After tossing and turning in my bed for the past few hours, trying vainly and with little success to fall asleep, I decided to give up on the idea of sleep as a hopeless case for the moment and take a walk. Walking had always helped me calm down and clear my mind when I was back home.

The cool, night breeze kissed my face as I stepped outside. It was very late. Every fire was out and every person was asleep, which made the camp feel like a ghost town. The fact that all the lights were out didn't bother me in the least bit; the moon's gentle light would guide me. I fell into a familiar pattern of walking, letting my feet carry me through the camp while I mulled over the thing that was bothering me.

Aslan had seemed so sorrowful even in a time of rejoicing, it wasn't like him. He hadn't even seemed to have been paying much attention to his surroundings after the Witch had left. I though back on everything that had happened after Aslan and the Witch had come out of the tent. The Witch had looked a bit smug and satisfied even though Edmund had been freed of her grasp. Remembering that self-satisfied look on her face made a rush of anger rise up through me. I wanted to smack that smug look off of her face. She should've been angry and violent after talking to Aslan. Had he made some type of deal with her? I was sure he had. After all, the Witch had asked whether a promise would be kept. A promise. Suddenly, fear gripped my heart. What type of promise had Aslan made? What type of promise would make the Witch seem so satisfied and victorious? Surely Aslan wouldn't risk his life, would he?

By some coincidence or product of fate my feet had carried me to Alsan's tent. I stood outside the tent, debating whether to go ask Aslan or to jus let it go. The flags on top of the tent fluttered in the small breeze that blew through the camp while I remained standing in the same place that I had stood in earlier that day. I just couldn't make up my mind about what I wanted to do. Eventully, Aslan himself emerged from his tent and spotted me.

"Do you need something, Claire?" I came out of my daze and nodded slowly. I took a deep breath and decided to just ask him outright.

"What did you promise the Witch? I know it's your business and it's not my right to ask, but, please Aslan, could you tell me?" A flicker of a smile passed over his face.

"Let us take a walk, dear one." I walked beside Aslan as we started to tread through the camp. "Now, tell me of you worries." His calm and concerned voice comforted me and any feeling of anxiety flew from me. Everything that had been troubling me started to spill out, like water rushing out in a flood after a dam breaks. I told everything to Aslan, from my confusion over his sorrowful expression to my own mounting fear over his promise to the Witch.

"And then we're supposed to go to war tomorrow and, Aslan, I don't think we're ready." Aslan had listened quietly and carefully to everything. By the time I had finished my list of worries we were almost to the edge of the camp.

"I can see why you're so restless, Claire. You do not believe you're ready, however, I can tell you differently. You are not the same person you once were, Claire, and your friends have also changed. Everything you've experienced up to this point has helped you grow and prepared you for the battle yet to come."

"But we've been here for only a few days."

"You need not worry, Claire. Do not look for strength in others but more for the strength within yourself. In your determination and courage you will find a store of power that is far greater than you think you have. Have more confidence, you are ready." I nodded, trying to understand everything he had said.

"And what of you, Aslan? Why do you seem so downcast? What promise have you made the Witch?" Aslan was silent and thoughtful as we walked past the last of the sleeping tents and towards the woods.

"There is a greater power than all of us which leads us along our paths. You and even I must follow this power, Claire. I believe you deserve to know where I am going and what I am doing, however, I also believe that this is not the time to tell you. I cannot tell you, not yet. Do you understand?"

"Yes." And I did. But just because I understood didn't mean that I was willing to let the subject drop. I wanted answers from Aslan, not riddles, but the look in his eyes told me that it would be wise to remain quiet about it. I could see the edge of the forest coming closer and knew that my walk with Aslan would end soon. I looked behind me to see exactly how far from the camp we were and noticed a piece of fabric, probably from a cloak, disappearing from the tent at the very edge of the camp. Aslan also seemed to notice and chuckled softly, then he quickly became serious again.

"This is where I leave you. From here I go on alone." I nodded and attempted a confident smile. My smile was small and I soon felt a small drop of water run down my cheek. I laughed softly as I wiped away the tears.

"I have faith in you, Aslan. I'm sure you know what you're doing." I hugged Aslan before he turned away and went into the woods. I waited another minute before calling out into the night. "You can come out now, Aslan's gone."

Turning around, I watched as two figures materialized from the shadows and walked towards me. It seemed that Lucy and Susan were unable to sleep as well. They came up beside me and looked at me curiously.

"What were you two talking about?" I thought for a moment. Lucy and Susan were going to follow Aslan no matter what I said so I figured it was best to let them find out what was happening from Aslan himself.

"Nothing but idle fantasies, Lucy. Why are you two out at this hour?"

"Lucy couldn't sleep and she became curious after seeing you and Aslan walk by. Then she dragged me out here as well." Lucy looked a little guilty. I chuckled at her curiosity. "Where's Aslan going?" Susan was staring at the forest that Aslan had disappeared into.

"I'm not at liberty to say, mainly because I'm not sure where he went either." Lucy looked at me with an unspoken question in her eyes. I knew she wanted to follow him, as did Susan, though she was trying her hardest to hide it. "Go on. I won't stop you if you want to follow Aslan. You best go quickly as well before his path becomes hidden."

"Thank you." Lucy hugged me in gratitude.

"Be careful, both of you." They nodded and then rushed off into the forest. I hoped that I hadn't made a mistake in letting them follow Aslan and I wondered whether I should've gone wit them. No, I was needed here. If the three of them were late in coming back tomorrow then Peter and Edmund would need all the help they could get.

I looked up at the sky as I started walking back into the camp. Clouds were gathering and blocking out the stars and the moon. I quickened my pace so that I could reach my tent before all the light was gone. Cloudy nights were common but, somehow, I felt like running away from the night, like something horrible was going to happen.

I passed shuddering trees and closed, drooping plants that contrasted with the bright, hopeful look of the camp. But, without the light of the moon shining on it, the camp was starting to seem less happy and more hopeless. I shook my head. Maybe I was just reading too much into it. A camp was only a camp and we still had every reason left to have dreams of freedom, nothing bad had happened yet. We had to believe that the universe would be with us and grant us the means to be victorious.

Suddenly, I was at my tent. Peter and Edmund were still asleep and my tent seemed empty and cold now. I fell to the ground outside of the tent and just stayed there. I stared at the black, foreboding sky above me and waited. Clouds passed through the sky but never let a piece of light shine through. My mind was blank. I couldn't just pretend everything was alright, but I couldn't bear facing the truth that something was happening, so I just didn't think. Eventually, I fell into a light and restless sleep.

I had a history of having weird dreams, but I never thought that I would have such a dream in the light sleep I had fallen into. I saw flickering lights, like those of torches, dance merrily and sinisterly. I heard a crowd cheer and rejoice while the voice of another told of suffering. But the voice wasn't just a voice, it was a roar, the voice of a lion. Were my fears conjuring up such a dream? I had a vision of the woods, which quickly turned to focus on a stone table that was both whole and broken at the same time. The final vision I had was that of gentle eyes of a lion. Then my dream dissolved.

A cold breeze woke me up. Petals swirled by and around me stopping by my ear. The wind whispered to me a message, one that made my eyes go wide and start to fill with tears. It couldn't be possible. But the message was from Susan and Lucy, so it had to be true. I hugged myself and waited for Peter and Edmund to hear the devastating news. They came out a few minutes later looking dazed. I stood up and went to them. Peter was one to come out of his shock first.

"Aslan, he…" Peter couldn't finish his sentence. I nodded and let a few tears leak down my face.

"I know." My voice came out in a strangled whisper. Peter pulled me into his arms as I started weeping. I couldn't stop my crying. Through my tears I saw Edmund sit down in disbelief. We were all grieving and were all worried. Were Susan and Lucy still safe? Should we still go to war? Could we win without Aslan's help? Question after question raced nervously through my mind. I stayed in Peter's arms for a while, needing his warmth and comfort, needing the feeling of security. Peter also held onto me tightly, as if he was afraid that he would lose someone else if he let go.

I was still in shock. It had only been a few hours ago that I had walked through this camp with Aslan, talked with him and seen him alive and well. I pulled away from Peter and stared at the ground to hide the tears lingering in my eyes. I needed to be strong, we all did. We needed to be strong and confident, because we still had a fight left to win. I took a deep breath so that when I spoke I could sound sure of myself.

"Don't let the rest of the camp know about this. Tell them Aslan left suddenly on an important mission or that he is going to the Witch's castle to free some prisoners, anything that will cover up Aslan's death while still retaining the people's hope." I looked at the two with eyes void of any sorrowful emotion as I spoke. "We can't let them know what has happened if we still want to win." Peter and Edmund nodded in agreement.

"First we need to make sure that the message was true and not some sort of trick or trap." Peter started walking away towards Aslan's tent and Edmund and I followed right behind him. I was positive that that there was no mistake in what the tree had told us, but I also wanted to make sure for myself.

The sun, which had been timidly peeking out over the hills when the news had been whispered to us, was crawling high into the sky when we reached Aslan's tent. Oreius was at his usual post, but whether he knew that Aslan was gone or had not been told, I knew not.

"Oreius." He bowed his head to us briefly. There was tension in his movements, but it was so subtle that only someone who was paying close attention would notice. "You've heard, haven't you? About Aslan?"

"Yes, Lady Claire." The four of us stood in silence for a moment. Peter glanced warily at the tent and then quickly strode towards it. Edmund and I stood with Oreius as Peter searched the tent. After about a minute, he came out with a hopeless expression on his face.

"She's right. He's gone." We bowed our heads at the news while any hope we had been harboring left.

"Then you'll have to lead us." Edmund looked up and stared at Peter determinedly. "Peter, there's an army out there and they're ready to follow you."

"I can't!"

"Aslan believed you could," Edmund countered, "and so do I." This seemed to give Peter more strength, but I could still see the doubt in his eyes.

"I believe in you, Peter. As do these people. Have faith in yourself and us. Aslan left this fight to you. I'm sure he knew what he was doing."

"The Witch's army is nearing, sire. What're your orders?" Peter looked at Oreius and then at the sky, thinking.

"I don't know." I looked down at the map we were circled around and tried to make sense of the figures placed on it. Then a brilliant idea popped into my head and I smiled.

"I'll be right back." The three watched curiously as I ran to the edge of the woods and picked up several long, thin sticks. With my arms full, I hurried back to my earlier spot and smiled brightly. I started to set the sticks in a pattern of horizontal and vertical lines, and then placed the figures that represented our army in the squares on the side closest to Peter. "What does it look like?"

"A chessboard…" I wasn't surprised that Edmund was the one to understand first. He seemed to be deep in thought, probably thinking of the possibilities of planning like this. Peter glanced at the map but didn't seem to get the idea.

"Claire, this isn't a game. How is this going to help?"

"Don't you get it?" Peter continued to stare blankly at me. "What was chess based off of? War! Chess is a strategy game; it was used to teach war strategy in the middle ages!" Edmund beamed at my idea.

"That's brilliant! I'll move the Witch's army and you and Peter figure out our strategy." We all agreed and started to look for any weaknesses in the Witch's position.

We spent the following two hours just testing out different approaches. Edmund would arrange the Witch's troops in a formation and then Peter and I would discuss and try out an attack, with occasional help from Edmund and Oreius. We finally decided on a starting position from which we could move into any place needed for whatever strategy the Witch decided to use. I thought the Witch would most likely charge head-on towards us, and that made our spot advantageous.

"Peter, you lead the soldiers on the ground. Edmund and I will stay back with the archers." Peter looked a bit shocked at my sudden decision.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. The people need their king to lead them, and, as much as I'd love to be down there fighting with you, my bow and arrow wouldn't be much help on the ground, so I'll lead the archers. We also need someone to watch the Witch's movements and begin whatever strategy we need to follow. That would be Edmund's job." Edmund smiled at the fact that he had an important role and Peter looked down at the map again.

"We should probably come up with signals. It'd help us communicate during the battle."

"That's true. We'll be standing too far away to hear each other, even if we yell. And it would be even a little help to be able to change tactics without cluing the Witch into our plans." I nodded along with the two boys' plans. The signs we decided to use were simple, we had basically assigned numbers to the different tactics and we would hold up the number of fingers for each strategy we decided to use. With that decided, we had little left to do.

"Your majesties, Lady Claire, the Witch's army is drawing closer. Perhaps you should go get ready." Oreius had a point. We were about to go into battle and all three of us still needed to get dressed for it. We went back to our tents to get ready.

I walked quickly over to the wooden chest. Pulling the lid up, I searched through the clothes folded inside and found an outfit fit for the battle at the very bottom. I pulled it out and placed all of the pieces on my bed. I slipped off the dress I was already wearing and pulled on a pair of tan leggings, over which I wore a skirt of chainmail, which ended at the middle of my knees. I then picked up the bright red, short sleeved dress I would wear and slipped it on, lacing up the front so that the dress would fit snugly. The skirt of the dress also ended at my knees and I realized that this was so I wouldn't trip over my own skirt during the battle. Finally I put on the shirt of chainmail and the leather cuirass, buckling the several straps that ran across it. With all of the chainmail plus the cuirass, my outfit left me feeling very protected.

I grabbed the boots I would wear, my bow and arrows, and the leather bracer for my arm as I strode out of my tent. The grass felt soft underneath my bare feet and the sun shone brightly down on the camp. I sat down and put on my boots. It took me several minutes to fully lace up my shoes since the laces ran from the middle of my foot all the way up to just below my knee, where the boots ended. While I was finishing up my last boot, Edmund came out of the tent fully dressed, except for his armor. He was holding his armor in front of him and he looked at it unsurely. I laughed at his expression.

"Do you need help?" Edmund glanced at me quickly.

"No. I'm going to go find Oreius. There are a few things I'd like to go over with him." I smiled at Edmund's obvious lie as he walked away. I had a feeling that he was going to go ask Oreius for help. I stood up and went over to Peter and Edmund's tent, knowing that Edmund wouldn't go to Oreius if Peter had known how to put on armor, meaning Peter would also need help.

"Peter? Can I come in?" I waited a moment for Peter's reply and dug into my memories for the information I would need. I had to look through about two years of memories before I found what I wanted.

"Sure. Come on in." I smiled and walked into the tent. Peter was looking at his armor, visibly confused about how to put it on. I laughed and he turned to me with pink tinted cheeks that complimented his bright red tunic.

"Do you need some help with that?" I smiled innocently and walked over to where his armor was. He watched me hopefully.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to put armor on, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He smiled, looking relieved. I picked up the armor for his shoulders and started strapping it on. Peter watched every move I made, probably trying to learn how to put armor on just in case he needed to know later.

"By the way, Claire, how do you know how to do this?"

"I once had to write a report for my history class. My topic was about clothing from the middle ages, including what knights wore. Naturally, I became intensely interested in my topic and looked up all I could about the clothes and the armor, including how to put it on." I smiled as I finished fastening the last piece of his armor on.

"That would explain things." He laughed a bit, and then fell silent. I was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable in the sudden silence. I was not one to fill the air with useless words most of the time and I wasn't about to change that now.

"Well, we should probably get going." I smiled unsurely and turned to walk out.

"Wait!" Peter grabbed my hand and turned me back around. I was curious about what he wanted, but then Peter leant down and placed his lips on mine.

The kiss was hesitant, but not without feeling. It was sweet and passionate and loving, but it was still cautious and shy. I had dreamed about being kissed, but the actual feeling was so much better than I had thought it would be. Peter pulled away quickly, a blush covering his cheeks. My own eyes were wide with surprise and a hand came up to touch my lips. That had been my first kiss and I was certain that it had been Peter's first kiss as well. My lips curved up into a smile but my hand was covering it. Peter glanced at me quickly and then quietly started to walk towards the tent's entrance, most likely taking my silence as a rejection.

"Peter," I felt him stop to listen, "what was that kiss for?" We turned to face each other, but Peter was still looking at the ground. That was fine with me for the moment; I didn't want to see any hurt on his face. So, until I could convince him that I wasn't rejecting him, he could continue looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have done that. It was stupid of me and I don't know what I was thinking. I'm really sorry…" Peter was rambling on about how sorry he was, though he really didn't need to. I put up my hand to stop whatever Peter was going to say after that.

"You're sorry? I'm not." His head flew up and he looked at me uncertainly. I took his hand and held onto it tightly. "I don't want to hear apologies, I just want to know why you kissed me." I smiled shyly and waited for his answer. He took a few minutes to register what I had said and come up with is answer.

"Would it be crazy if I said that, maybe, I… think that I love you?" His face turned even redder and I giggled internally at his timidity, but I also felt my cheeks turning warm.

"Probably just as crazy if I said that I think I feel the same way." We smiled at each other and a little bit of awkwardness left. Things were finally coming out into the open, though not in the way I was expecting. Ellen wouldn't believe it if she was here. Peter suddenly pulled into his arms and I wrapped my own arms around him.

"Be safe during the battle. Look after yourself. I don't want to lose you." Peter whispered into my ear. It was strange to think that a few days ago I couldn't have even imagined that something like this would happen, and now it seemed completely normal to me, as if I had already known this would happen. I lifted my head to whisper back to him.

"The same to you. Stay alive and come back to me, and come back to your family." We embraced each other for a minute longer before pulling apart and walking out of the tent together. We walked over to where the army was gathering and stood up at the front with Edmund and Oreius. I looked out over the crowd and saw a sea of red, gold, and silver. Everyone was decked out in their armor and the crowd was already emitting a feeling of victory. "Is everyone ready?" Barley stepped forward to answer me. He himself was also wearing a vest of chainmail with a golden lion placed on the back.

"Yes, milady. We all know where to go."

"Good. We'd best get to our places, the battle will start soon." Edmund and Peter looked at me understandingly and started to direct the troops to their positions. The archers went up the hill to the top of the cliffs while the rest of the army walked down towards the base of the cliffs. Barley started to go with the group fighting on the ground but I stood in front of him to stop him. "Barley, could you stay with me? I would be honored if you would fight with me."

"Of course, Claire. I would be proud to be able to fight with you." His head lifted proudly and he smiled. I stood in front of him in shock, trying to take in what he had just said.

"Barley, I do believe that's the first time I've heard you call me by my name only." Barley's eyes widened and he lowered his head shyly. I grinned at the now bashful fox. I knelt down and hugged him tightly. "Thank you." I pulled back and saw Barley smiling softly too.

I stood up and became serious once more. I looked over at Edmund and Peter to see them turn to look at me as well. We all knew what was coming. I hugged them both once more before heading up to my place on the right cliff with Barley while Edmund went to the left cliff and Peter followed the troops that stayed on the ground. The wind blew my hair out behind me as I walked up to the front of the archery group. I looked out over the land and saw the Witch's army growing closer and clearer. The sight of her army ruined any peace I felt from looking at the beautiful plain. I took a deep breath and lifted my head determinedly to face the wind. Yes, we knew what was coming and it was now time to face it.

* * *

Chapter done! This is the longest chapter I've ever written for this story...(and to think that I had thought this chapter was too short)... please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes you might have seen, they were completely unintentional, hence the reason that they are mistakes. please tell me what you think :D next chapter will be one of the hardest to write, i'm no good at writing battle scenes

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames are not. Thank you once again for reading and please review!


	11. And It All Ends Here

(AN) Ah, I was watching the movie and realized a lot of mistakes I had made. They could've been overlooked easily, but I happen to be a perfectionist so I went back and fixed it. Not much new, just a few altered sentences to make the edited version flow better. Sorry!

Hello again everyone, sorry I made you wait so long. So many things have been happening to me lately. But you don't want to hear everything that's been going on, you want to read, so I'll leave you to it! Please ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes while you read (but please tell me because I would love to correct it).

My name is NOT C.S. Lewis, therefore I don't own anything written by C.S. Lewis. I do own Barley and Claire however.

* * *

There was a certain stillness in the air that made me feel extremely unnerved. The field that had been chosen for the final battle was beautiful in its own right, but with the oncoming threat the field had turned from a beauty to a threat. The wind that was always blowing and dancing through the trees and over the grass was gone, leaving the leaves quiet and the grass still. Even the ever present sound of water had somehow become mute though we weren't at all far from the stream. Everyone was waiting anxiously for this final battle to happen, to see which side would come off victorious and gain the right to reign over Narnia.

"There's something eerie about this place, isn't there?" Barley's cheery voice cut through my thoughts, but it was strained, like he was forcing it to be light. I couldn't blame him, it was hard to be optimistic when you're facing a life or death situation.

"Besides the fact that a huge battle filled with blood, guts, and gore is about to take place here, no." I pushed my voice to be just as light as Barley's had been. He let out a soft chuckle at my answer though the amusement didn't seem to reach his eyes. Barley was staring gravely at the field and at our troops. We had already sent out a gryphon to be a scout for us so we knew what we were up against, now we were just nervously waiting for the news. I scanned over our soldiers and noticed that most of them seemed to be fidgeting anxiously with their eyes glued to the clear sky. Then, suddenly, a black speck appeared on the horizon and started to grow closer. The gryphon flew swiftly and steadily towards us, looping around the areas where Edmund and I had stationed ourselves before landing next to Peter. The frantic fluttering of his wings didn't bode well with my nerves.

I watched Peter as he spoke to the gryphon who had gone out to scout for us. The gryphon spoke rapidly to Peter and Oreius, making me believe that the news wasn't good. Peter glanced back towards Edmund and then at me. I nodded in understanding. So the news Peter had received _was_ bad news. Taking a deep breath, I turned back around to face my comrades.

"Alright everyone, we're about to face an enemy that we hardly know anything about, but we have better people and a better reason for fighting. We're fighting for freedom!" Everyone cheered at this. "I know you're all nervous that we're going to battle without Aslan, but would he leave us to fight by ourselves if he didn't have faith in us? Let's prove ourselves worthy of that faith and trust. Today is _our_ day. Today will be a day of victory for Narnia!"

The hill erupted in cheers. The mood was contagious and soon I was just as determined and euphoric as the others. Barley was cheering beside me with the rest, but his eyes remained fixated on the Witch's army. Everyone else quieted down a bit as they also watched the steadily growing blob, but there was the feeling of triumph in the air now instead of anxiety.

'You have a gift with words, Claire." I glanced down at Barley's rigid form. He seemed to be extremely focused on the upcoming fight. It amazed me that he would make small talk to distract both me and himself from any fluttering, nervous butterflies in our stomachs.

"Do I?"

"Indeed. You'll be a marvelous queen." I laughed and shook my head.

"I'm not going to be a queen. You've forgotten that I'm only a noble, Barley."

"No, I haven't forgotten. I was just merely pointing out that when you are queen you'll do a fine job. After all, you will most likely become High Queen in a few years." Barley glanced up at me and then at Peter's distant figure before turning back to me with an innocent, smiling face. I couldn't see my face, but I'm sure that it held a look akin to either shock, embarrassment, or a mixture of both. My face burned with a furious red that was many times hotter than any previous blushes that had visited my face in the past. What made it worse was the outbreak of sly smiles and glances I saw pass between my group.

"Oh no. Please don't tell me that the whole camp knows."

"We were only guessing." I glared at Barley. "Well, when there's nothing else to fill your day, what better excitement is there than to gossip about and spy on our soon-to-be High King and his potential love interest. But you just confirmed our suspicions."

"I've just sealed my fate, haven't I?"

"Yes. Just be sure to be alive to receive it." His tone had taken on a darker note. I lowered my eyes and turned to the Witch's followers.

"And you stay alive so you can give me that fate."

"As you wish, Lady Claire."

"And you, sir fox." Silence regained its claim over the cliffs while we waited. I kept my eyes on the slowly growing group, glancing every few minutes down at Peter to receive any orders he may have. I knew the plan; first the gryphons with the rocks, then the archers, and finally the ground troops, but Peter still had time to change the plan. He looked back at me quickly before turning and pulling out his sword. Edmund and I both signaled the gryphons forward to attack, hoping that we were making the right decision. They picked up large rocks and flew by with amazing speed. Everyone watched in satisfaction when the rocks took out many of the soldiers and we groaned as a few of the gryphons got hit and fell to the ground. The Witch's troops continued forward and then I saw the Witch for the first time.

"What is she wearing?" Standing in her silver, polar bear drawn chariot, the Witch looked menacing, especially in her outfit. But, as I looked at it longer, I realized what the furry thing around her neck was. "That's lion fur. She's wearing Aslan's mane!" I had whispered the last part to Barley, knowing not to mention my findings to anyone else.

"Calm down, Claire. You need a level head." He was right, of course, but I really didn't want to listen to him at that moment.

"Oh, I'll give you a level head, but it definitely won't be mine." Barley smiled a bit at the malice in my voice. I knew that he could guess what I was thinking by the approving look in his eyes. I turned to look at Edmund to tell him to release the arrow. Edmund caught my gaze and then beckoned the centaur forward to release it. I smiled smugly as I remembered exactly what this one arrow would do and listed them off as I watched the arrow fly. First the arrow would sail through the air before bursting into sparks, then, from the sparks, a fire ball would take shaoe in the form of a phoenix. That phoenix would then set blaze to something to block the Witch and her troops. We cheered as a line of grass went up in flames, buying us plenty of time. I heard a sharp intake of breath next to me and glanced down at Barley's tense face.

"Not good enough." Looking up to see what he meant, I saw the Witch break the barrier easily with her ice. Peter turned back to me and Edmund and raised two of his fingers. I gave him a quick thumbs-up and turned to face my comrades once more.

"Get ready! Hit as many of the Witch's soldiers as possible but be sure to leave most of your arrows for when they come closer to the cliffs." We all pulled out our arrows and strung our bows. I quickly started to calculate where the Witch's followers needed to be before we could release. They were close but not close enough. Keeping a close watch on the fight and the invisible line I had drawn on the ground, I counted down the seconds I thought it would take for the soldiers to reach that line. When I got to five seconds I lifted my bow and Barley signaled for the others to do the same. "Ready. Aim." I paused. 3, 2, 1, "Fire!"

A torrent of arrows flew in all directions and hit the front line of the Witch's army. We waited and watched the ground troops as they then started to fight the rest of the army. I shot arrow after arrow as more of the enemy broke through and worked their way through the crowd. The clanking of metal against metal was a bit hypnotic and soothing, strangely enough. I released another arrow at a dwarf that was aiming for Peter before whirling around to face Barley. "Get some archers who can shoot while running and get down there!"

"Yes, Claire!" He took off running, calling out to some of the archers to follow him as he went. I waited until I saw Barely and his group reach the main group of soldiers before calling off the rest of the archers. Our job now was to shoot any enemy that was getting too close to our area and to wait until Peter and the others drew the enemy to the cliffs, unless Peter changed the plan.

I didn't notice how much time was passing nor did I look to see which side had the advantage in the battle (it was pretty easy to figure out anyways). Yelling out orders to the archers left with me, I kept my eyes on one figure as I waited for a sign. Peter looked back at me and our eyes locked. I nodded to him before he could turn back to his comrades. He was ordering the retreat.

"Archers, get ready! Make sure all of your fellow soldiers return safely and shoot any enemy that gets close." I glanced down into the frenzied group and growled under my breath when I saw that Peter was one of the last ones retreating. A small flash of movement on the cliffs caught my eye. A dwarf was standing there, aiming his arrow at Peter. "Edmund! Enemy dwarf to your right!"

"Got it!" He had an archer shoot at the dwarf. We were lucky that the arrow hit him just as he was releasing his own arrow. The dwarf's arrow changed its original course, barely missing Peter as it plunged into the unicorn. The unicorn fell and Peter rolled onto the grass. I cursed and started running down onto the field, glancing back to see Edmund following. Ignoring the constant crashing of metal and the strong stench of spilled blood, I used a single arrow and my bow to defend myself as I made my way into the battle. Peter was still on the ground and hadn't noticed the Witch determinedly making her way towards him.

I saw Oreius stop and turn back towards Peter as I ran. It seemed that he had noticed our fallen leader as well. Oreius pulled out his swords and charged towards the Witch. He was faced with a minotaur before he could reach his target. I figured that the minotaur was the general of the Witch's army since he always seemed to be by her side and he had a certain air of authority about him. Oreius dealt him a huge blow but the minotaur still had energy to grab onto Oreius as he started toward the Witch. I cheered as Oreius jammed his two blades into a mintotaur, effectively ending his life. The Witch noticed Oreius' approach and got into her fighting stance. I had reached Peter by that time and  
I was trying to pull him back towards the cliffs and away from the Witch. Oreius had no chance against her, we all knew that, but he had gone after her in hope that he could buy us some time to get further away and to maybe put a scrath on the With.

"Peter, come on! We need to get out of here! He didn't seem to be listening as his horror-filled eyes were fixed on Oreius and the Witch. Oreius had reared back with his sword held high, about to strike, but the Witch had also gotten her weapon ready for attack and she had been much quicker. "No." My eyes were wide as I watched our friend turn into a perfect stone statue. My determination to get Peter away from the Witch had been renewed with that sight and I tugged roughly on his arm, forcing him to take a couple of steps back. Peter finally understood and jogged back to the cliffs with me.

A lot of the Witch's army had made their way to the cliffs and were busy fighting through our army. I was proud of our army for being able to hold their own against the enemy, especially since most of them had to fight against two or more creatures. Peter and I joined the fray and relieved some of our comrades from some of the soldiers. Edmund was already fighting by the cliff and I saw Barley grappling with another fox not too far away. I didn't have a sword, not that I knew how to use one, so I mostly used my fists and an arrow.

I swung the arm holding the arrow around so that the tip sliced cleanly across the neck of an oncoming attacker and then turned swiftly to punch the opponent that was sneaking up behind me in the abdomen and plunging my arrow through his chest. The problem with fighting so closely with someone is that their blood will usually splash you once you stab or shoot them and the sticky, metallic substance kept reminding me that these were living creatures I was killing. The deaths were necessary, but it was still a hard truth for a young girl (like myself) to have to face.

There were so many more creatures in the Witch's army than I had originally thought. It seemed to me that as soon as I defeated one enemy there was another that was ready to attack. I glanced behind me to see Peter was having the same problem and then I focused back on who I was fighting. He had just pulled out his sword and was charging straight towards me. I waited until the last possible second before ducking and letting his sword slide over me and into the back of the minotaur Peter was fighting. I then used the slumped over form of the minotaur to brace myself as I jumped up and kicked my enemy under his chin, using my legs to push his head back and efficiently snap his neck. I landed silently on my feet and pulled his sword out of the minotaur just in time to swing it around and slice into an enemy fawn's abdomen. I was not an expert when it came to using a sword, but I knew which end to hold and I knew how to cut with it so I was able to hold my own. The battle went so much smoother for me once I had a good weapon to fight with instead of just using my hands and feet. Unfortunately, the Witch's army never appeared to give an inch. Peter noticed this as well.

"Edmund!" I looked up at Peter's cry and saw Edmund also turn around. "It's too dangerous. Find the girls and get them home!" Edmund nodded numbly. Mr. Beaver grabbed his hand and started to pull him away. "Claire, I want you to go home too. Please." He was practically begging me to leave him behind, but I had made my decision to stay until the end a long time ago.

"No way. If you want me to leave then you're coming with me." He stood in shock at my outburst. I pulled out an arrow and quickly threw it in his direction but aiming at the wolf coming up behind him. "I'm not leaving you here by yourself in the middle of a war!" A loud crack and a sound that was hard to describe interrupted our small argument. We turned to see that Edmund had broken the Witch's staff, the one that had turned so many of our comrades into stone. The Witch was furious at Edmund and then plunged the shattered staff's sharp end into him. "No!"

"Edmund!" Peter's anguished cry carried over the battlefield and grabbed the Witch's attention. Peter stood up and rushed towards her, bent on revenge for his brother. I rushed after him, but my goal was to get to Edmund to make sure he was still alive and to keep him alive.

Peter's blade crashed against the Witch's. She had grabbed up another sword from some poor, dead soldier to use instead of her staff. She retaliated and soon held Peter at bay, moving her swords at a speed that Peter couldn't keep up with in his blinded fury. I took this time to kneel down beside Edmund and loosen his armor so that he could breathe easier. His face was twisted up, like he was in excruciating pain, and he was gasping for breath. I knew that his lungs were starting to collapse since the Witch's staff went right into Edmund's chest cavity.

"Just take slow, calm breaths Edmund. Don't panic, that'll just make it worse." I squeezed his hand reassuringly and then stood up to defend him from any of the Witch's loyal followers in case they took this chance to finish what the Witch had started and take his life. Peter and the Witch were busy with their fight, attacking with a flurry of blows that was dizzying to my eyes, but I knew that Peter wasn't fighting as well as he could because he was too worried about his brother.

"Peter, focus! I'll take care of Edmund." He looked my way quickly with a grateful smile and then fought back against the Witch with all his strength. I was busy shooting arrows at any enemy that was starting to come near where I stood with Edmund and couldn't see what was happening, but I took any time I could to watch Peter and make sure he was doing fine. I wanted to help him, but he was fighting for his brother and I didn't want to get in the way of that, it was Peter's fight and his fight alone. He was dodging and countering many of the Witch's attacks, but I never saw him get a chance to really fight back. The Witch was too strong for him; I was going to have to step in soon. I pulled out an arrow as quickly as I could and frantically tried to set my bow to shoot before the Witch could deal the final blow. Before I could shoot, a ferocious roar rang through the air and relaxed my anxious, fluttering nerves. We all looked up to see Aslan majestically standing at the top of the cliffs with Susan and Lucy.

"Impossible." That was the whisper that carried through the Witch's army and even most of our troops. I nodded in agreement and gave out a joyful cry when I saw all of the reinforcements that came with Aslan. MY joy turned to horror as Peter was quickly knocked to the ground and pinned there by one of the Witch's two swords. I drew back my arrow as the reinforcements ran down into the fray and started to fight back all of the Witch's followers that had stayed when Aslan appeared, the rest of the Witch's army had already left. Aslan himself ran down and pounced onto the Witch and pushed her away from Peter. I looked away as Aslan bent down and finished her life.

"It is finished." He looked at Peter on the ground and then over at me as I relaxed my form and dropped down to Edmund's side. In the distance I saw Susan and Lucy embrace Peter joyfully as I loosened Edmund's armor even more. I picked up Edmund's head and cradled it in my hand's as I moved to place his head in my lap, hoping that the elevation would make it easier for him to breath.

"Edmund! Claire!" I looked up as Susan released an arrow. Looking behind me I saw that it had hit one of the Witch's dwarves that had been creeping up behind us. The three siblings ran to their brother's side and knelt by him as well. I let Susan take my place as she took Edmund's helmet off. Lucy had pulled out her cordial and let a drop fall into Edmund's open mouth. I sat down beside Peter and waited with the others to see how Edmund would fare. His breathing slowed and then finally stopped and I wondered whether we had been too late. But then, Edmund let out a cough and started breathing normally again. He sat up and looked at Susan, Lucy, and me before his gaze settled on Peter. Peter smiled through his tears and gave Edmund a relieved hug.

"When are you going to learn to do as you're told?" The two boys let out ironic laughs and Peter pulled Edmund back into a tight hug. Lucy and Susan joined in not too long after while I stayed on the sidelines. I felt a bit out of place since I wasn't really part of their family. But Edmund and Peter both placed a hand on my shoulders and pulled me in as well. We embraced for a little bit before Edmund pulled away and broke the hug. He was looking behind us so we all turned and saw Aslan had come up. He smiled at us and breathed onto Oreius' frozen form. I watched in amazement as Oreius regained movement in his limbs. I grinned and ran over to him, giving him a bone crushing hug. He patted my back unsurely and let out a loud laugh. I pulled away in time to see Lucy stand up with her cordial and start running to all of the wounded.

"Let's go help find more." The others agreed with Susan's suggestion and we split up into two groups and went to the other two end of the field. Susan brought Edmund with her just in case he needed help and left Peter with me. I figured that there was more to her reasons than she would say by the small wink she gave me before she left. Susan would be poorly disappointed though since the two of us were too busy finding our soldiers and comforting them through their pain. I smiled each time Lucy healed one of them, but she surprised me when she would go over to a wounded soldier that had fought in the Witch's army and healed them as well. She really had such a kind soul. The soldiers she healed were surprised as well to see their enemy had helped them and most thanked her once they were able to before disappearing into the woods saying that they didn't belong here. They had gone into the area of the woods where most of the trees had supported the Witch's reign, where they would be welcome instead of staying with the creatures that would scorn them and wouldn't trust them because of their past alliance. My heart went out to those poor souls who were starting to feel that they didn't belong anywhere and I wished that there would be someway to help them.

"You wish to help them, don't you?" I jumped in surprise when Aslan came up beside me. I nodded to answer his question. "So do I. Though they had once turned their back to me, they're still my family and very dear to me. I wish that they would see that."

"Is there anything I could do to help them, Aslan? Anything I can do to show them that we all are ready to forgive and forget?" He gave me a small smile and I saw a twinkle in his eyes.

"Of course there is. There are plenty of things that you could do, but it's up to you to figure out what you _should_ do." He turned and walked away to free some more people from their solid state. I pondered over his words as I worked. Aslan had made it sound like there was something that only I would be able to do. I shook my head and decided to think about it later, it was too much for me to think about at the moment. I walked over to a minotaur who was face down and tried to turn him over. He was too large and too big for my small arms to flip by themselves.

"Peter, can you come help me?" He smiled and came over to my side. We both lifted the minotaur and flipped him over only to see that he was already dead. "Well, that was a huge waste of time. I'm sorry."

"Forget it. It would've been cruel to leave him face down anyways." He put his arm around my shoulders and started to walk away together. I grinned and placed my head on his shoulder, happy that we had gotten through the battle with hardly any injuries. "I'm glad you stayed, Claire. I would've been a goner if you hadn't been there to make me focus."

"I'm just glad that you're still here." He chuckled a little and placed a chaste kiss on the top of my head. We stopped at an area where there were still more bodies to flip, identify, and call help for. Talking and laughing together, we worked our way through the fields until we met up with Susan and Edmund again. Barley came up to us not too long after and laughed when I let out a yell of delight before giving him a huge hug.

"It's good to see you again too, Claire." We smiled at each other. "And now, I'll be able to make sure that your fate is given to you." I threw my head back in laughter.

"Fair enough." I looked around to see that the soldiers who had been healed were heading up to the cliffs to celebrate our victory. "We should probably go up too." Everyone smiled and turned as one to head up the cliffs. We all linked arms and made our way up the cliffs and into the camp, cheering and whooping with our comrades as we went. There was already a huge party going with a lot of food being cooked over fires and music playing and dancing. I watched the creatures dancing, trying to learn the steps of the dance that they were performing so that I could join. Lucy didn't even wait to learn the steps and grabbed Edmund's hand, pulling him into the dance and trying to learn it as they went. Susan was mesmerized by the music and had drifted over to the musicians so that she could hear them better. Once again I had been left with Peter, not that I really minded.

"Care to dance?" I looked down at the hand he had offered me and grinned.

"But I really don't know how to."

"Doesn't matter, we'll pick it up as we go, like Lucy and Edmund." I giggled and took his hand.

"Alright." He pulled me into the group of dancers and spun me around. I laughed and watched the people around us, performing the steps a few seconds late. Peter was doing the same thing I was and we danced around each other, grinning like idiots. Somehow, we made it through the dance successfully, clapping with the other dancers for the musicians.

"Do you want to stop?" I shook my head and Peter smiled. The rest of the day wore on like this. Dance after dance, only stopping for short rests and to have dinner before heading out to dance some more. I was having more fun than I had had in years. I looked around at the rest of our group to see them all smiling and laughing with everyone around them. Who knew that it would turn out this way? That we would all be together laughing, dancing, and just being happy? I was so grateful that we were all safe and that we could spend this time together without having to worry about war. And, as I looked around at everyone and glanced over to see Peter laughing at someone's joke, I knew that this was the way it should be.

* * *

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you would also take the time to leave a review I would be so grateful, I love hearing from you guys! Also, I'm posting a little contest on my profile for anyone who is interested, and I have a few special surprises for the winners. If you would kindly take the time to also go check that out it would make me very happy. And, contrary to the title of this chapter, this is definitely NOT the end of this story. There's still a little ways to go. ^.^

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Flames are not. Thanks for reading!


	12. Beginnings of Paths

Forgive me for taking so long! I've been extremely busy lately with school and such. I blame World History AP (or as we call it, WHAP!). we do so much in that class that I hardly have time for anything else. In my defense, this chapter is also longer than many of the ones I've written in the past. I had a lot to say and wanted to fit it all into this one chapter. It goes pretty fast this time, and may seem a bit rushed, but the Pevensies, Claire, and the Narnians were in hurry to get through the coronation anyways. I will try to get the next chapter done soon, but I have school to worry about so it may take a while.

I don't own anything in here that you see in the books and/or movie. Everything else is my own invention, with an exclusion to Claire's outfit later on.

* * *

I woke up with the bright sun shining down on me. I shifted around a bit, noting how uncomfortable I was at the moment. 'And no wonder I am,' I thought as I opened my eyes and noticed that I was still wearing my chainmail and armor. In the festivities of the previous night I had forgotten that I still had it on, but I wasn't the only one.

It seemed that everyone had fallen asleep where they were last night, and most still had their armor on. I saw Edmund and Lucy sleeping around one of the fires that had been going last night and Susan sleeping by one of the food tables not far from them. I had curled up at the base of a rock and Peter was sprawled out next to me. I smiled gently as I saw his sleeping face. It was so relaxed and peaceful, speaking nothing of the trouble he had been through recently.

I stood up and stretched a bit before carefully walking towards my tent. The familiar faces of my comrades made me smile as I passed by them, laughing now and again when I saw someone sleeping weirdly. I had to smother my laughter when I saw Barley lying on his back with all four paws in the air and his tail swishing back and forth while he slept. Eventually I made it to the tent I had been staying in and sighed as I entered. So much had happened in just the past few days that it had been hard to take it all in. Just a few days ago I had been walking to and from school in London and now here I was, part of the conquering army of a great battle and friends with the future kings and queens of a majestic land. I smiled as I thought of how my old history professor would have loved to have a chance like this, to actually be in and making history.

I unbuckled and slid off the cuirass and chainmail shirt. The burgundy dress I had worn before the battle was folded on my bed already. I placed the cuirass and chainmail I had taken off on my bed and quickly discarded the rest of my battle outfit before slipping on the dress. I already felt more comfortable now that my armor was off. After folding and putting away the outfit I had just changed out of, I sat on my bed and played all of the various memories that had started to resurface with this trip, including ones about my father. Had he felt like this after winning a battle with the army? Would he be proud that his daughter had done as he had always told her and fought for something that was rooted so deeply in her heart that she couldn't just stand aside? I smiled as I remembered a particular memory of my father I had refused to watch since receiving that single letter from my father a year ago.

I had been very young at the time and didn't understand cruelty or hatred. My birthday had come and gone just a week earlier and I had been a blooming girl of seven. My father and I were dancing together around the house to some of my parents' favorite tunes and my mother stood in the doorway watching us and laughing at our antics. She wasn't then, but was rather glowing with happiness and health. I was laughing as my father twirled my around, my small, golden brown curls spinning and bouncing with each step and turn. He was my prince charming, which was strange to think about as a girl of nearly fifteen now, and my father's chocolate brown hair and laughing gray eyes were the center of my very small world. My father and I often spent time together but it had been the nights where he would turn on the radio so that we could dance and sing together that were my favorite memories. I let out a small sigh as I continued to watch the small girl in her pink cotton dress spin about the small room with her energetic father and squealing with delight with each unexpected turn and lift. I knew that even if my father came home at the end of the war, we would both be too changed to ever really go back to those times. That book had closed long ago when the lunatic had started rising to power and our country's men had been called to arms. I didn't even know if he was still alive or not. Letters had been hard to send or receive lately, and even the last letter my father had sent had been extremely short. And now not only were letters hard to send and receive, but I was in a foreign land with no visible signs of being connected to the real world. How much time had passed in the real world since coming to Narnia anyways?

"Claire, are you in here?" I snapped out of my various thoughts once Lucy called me.

"I'm here. Did you need something?" Lucy pushed back the tent's flap and came in. She smiled at me before coming over to sit on my bed as well.

"Not really. I was just wondering where you were." Swinging her legs back and forth while sitting on the bed, she turned and beamed up at me but I saw her smile falter just a second later. "What's wrong?" She reached up a brushed something wet from my cheeks. I put my hand up by my eye and found that I had been crying. I hadn't even noticed the traitor tears fall as I recalled my memories. I had promised myself I wouldn't break down over it after seeing my mother sobbing through the night after we got my father's letter, but here I was shattering that promise.

"I'm fine, Lucy. Really. I was just remembering a few things." She nodded slowly and stood up, either feeling that I needed to be alone or sensing that I just didn't want to answer any questions at the moment.

"Well then, if you need me I'll be out with the others. Everyone's starting to wake up and Oreius is getting anxious to start moving." I laughed a bit. Oreius was always in a hurry to get things done. Lucy smiled and walked outside. I could hear the others starting to stir on the other side of the thin wall and knew I would have to go out soon. Spotting a small washbasin at the other end the tent, I hastened to splash cool water on my face and get rid of any blotchiness that had been left by my crying. Apparently memory lane wasn't something I was quite ready for yet. I quickly redid my hair, leaving most of it down and tying back only the top layer of hair, before striding out of the tent and into the crowd once more.

Everyone had moved while I had been lost in my own memories, whether it was just a change of sleeping positions or actually getting up and moving about sluggishly. I could tell that everyone was feeling the pain and discomfort of having slept in their armor like I had. Did my father have to sleep in his full uniform every night? Did he go through similar discomfort? I shook my head quickly and made those thoughts disperse into the bright morning sky. Now was not the time to ask those questions.

The officers of the different species were walking through the camp, trying to rouse their charges that were still asleep. I glanced around and noticed that Barley was one of those who were still slumbering away and giggled at the fact that he was in the same position as when I had last saw him. I padded my way over to him through the puddle of slumbering figures and gently shook him until his drowsy eyes flickered open.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Did you have pleasant dreams?" I was choking on my laughter through each word of this sentence and wait for his reaction. I was sorely let down though because he looked completely unabashed that I had found him in this position. It seemed that it was a normal sleeping habit for him.

"Why yes, I did. Thank you for asking." It was hard to understand what he had said because of all his mumbling, but I figured it out eventually. What he continued to mumble after that was lost in the babble or morning conversations and tasks. I shook my head and stood up, intent on finding the four Pevensies. Lucy had disappeared into the steady flow of people, so following her was out of the question. I decided to look near the places they had been sleeping and then down by the river if they weren't there. I worked my way through the current of people moving across the camp to get to where we had all been before. I marveled at all of the people who were in our ranks. How had I not noticed it before? There were all different species of creatures that were all but fairy tales back home. Groups of fawns were seated around small fires cooking breakfast while centaurs roamed throughout the camp with no apparent destination and dwarves were huddled close together to compare weapons. There were so many different people and personalities, my head span with everything I was taking in. Did my father see this much variety in his comrades? Probably not to this degree. I shook those thoughts out of my head. Thinking of him wouldn't help me at the moment.

I reached the rock I had been sleeping near and noticed my bow and arrows resting against it. Picking them up, I saw three of the four people I had been looking for. Lucy, Edmund, and Susan were sitting together and laughing. Edmund had also changed out of his armor and into his old camp clothes. I smiled and walked over to them, mildly curious of Peter's whereabouts.

"Claire!" Susan had spotted me and waved cheerily. The other two turned around and smiled brightly.

"Catch!" Edmund threw a bright red apple at me. The sun glanced off its skin brilliantly in the air, flying gracefully into my outstretched hand. "Breakfast." I nodded and thanked Edmund before biting into the juicy apple. The three continued talking as I ate. They were discussing their upcoming coronation and how they should rule Narnia. I listened to their plans and thoughts, adding my own ideas now and then. They talked about everything possible, except for the one area I was interested in.

"What about the Witch's old followers? What do you plan to do with them?" The three fell silent at my question. They hadn't even thought about it, but that was fine. "Never mind. Don't worry about it. Leave them to me, I have a few ideas."

"Alright then." Lucy seemed confused and a bit curious about my plans, but she didn't press them. "Peter said he'd be down by the river, if you were looking for him." Susan and Edmund smiled slyly as I thanked Lucy. I really didn't care that they were teasing me anymore, they were like my family and I didn't feel embarrassed at all with them. Strange that only a few days ago I would've been blushing and stuttering like mad.

"I'm going to leave you then. Come find me when we're about to leave."

"We will." I smiled and started to walk through the camp again. I followed the rather familiar path out of our camp, through the woods and down to the stream. The light filtered down through the trees gave the area a green illumination, a beautiful and mystic light. There had been a change since the Witch had been defeated, like the world was celebrating and more carefree. Perhaps it was this way because we didn't have to watch for an attack or worry about whether we were surrounded by spies. It was the type of beauty my father and I used to go outside and sketch, though we were both horrible at drawing.

I noticed the shine of Peter's sword up ahead from where it stood leaning against a tree. Peter himself was sprawled out beside it, but his shallow, irregular breathing indicated that he was awake. He didn't look my way as I sat down beside him, as if he had been expecting.

"What are you doing out here?" His blue eyes flickered my way before returning to the ceiling of green and cerulean.

"Thinking."

"About?" I didn't want to badger him into answering, making that clear through my soft and timid question, but that didn't mean I wasn't curious. Peter was usually thinking about something serious when he didn't give a clear, straight answer.

"My father." He turned his head slightly so that his eyes connected with mine. "I'm not quite sure why, but everything is reminding me of him." Letting out a small laugh, I shook my head and fell back into the grass.

"So I'm not the only one who feels that way. That makes me a bit more comfortable." I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet, peaceful smell of the grass. "I wish I could talk to him, or even just look at him for a minute."

"Do you think they would approve of this whole adventure?"

"They'd probably show a face of concern and objection on the outside, but I like to think that they'd be proud of how we've handled everything on the inside." Parents always were that way; concerned for our well being, but awed at how much we could do.

"What is your father like?" I smiled a little when I heard the subtle shift in his tone that gave away his nervousness. He was afraid of how my father might react to him. That small, but completely normal, fear was like a ray of sunshine into this whirlwind of adventure, even though I had loved almost all of it. I decided to humor him and not tell Peter that my father would most likely perform an extremely thorough examination before accepting Peter as his baby girl's companion. Better to placate his nerves than to just make them worse.

"My father is kind and compassionate. He hates fighting of any kind and used to take long walks outside with a good book."

"Doesn't seem like the type of person to go into the army." I laughed.

"I know. But he's also one of the bravest and most loyal people in my life. He would do anything to protect his family and country. I miss him." Peter's hand slipped into mine.

"I understand how you feel." We shared a reminiscent smile. He started talking about his own father, telling some of his fondest memories to me. I in turn did the same and talked about all the times my father and I had played tricks on our family and friends or went out to study nature together. Just by talking to Peter about him I felt better and started to miss him less. I still felt a bit empty, but it stung less now. Suddenly aware of the sun's position in the sky, I stood and pulled Peter up with me.

"Come on. Oreius will be wanting to leave soon."

"Why is everyone so anxious to get there?"

"Give them a break. The Witch was just vanquished. It makes sense that they want to restore order and crown their new monarchs as soon as possible." Peter's face scrunched up into a look of mild disgust.

"Ugh, pageantry. I'm not sure how I'll like that aspect of ruling." Grinning, I started back towards the camp, walking hand in hand with Peter.

"Well, you at least won't have to worry about the planning. The Narnians and Susan will take care of that."

"Even worse if Susan's planning it!" I laughed. "But you'll be with me, right?"

"Well, somewhat. I'll be there, but I'll have to stand on the sidelines. I'm only nobility, remember, my liege?" He let out a sigh, but smiled nonetheless.

"Oh, I remember, milady. But let's forget the respectful titles. We're too close of friends for that."

"Are we only close friends?" I was genuinely wondering about it. After everything that's happened I felt that we should be more, but were we? We had slowed down to a complete stop. Peter turned to me with questions and hesitance in his bright blue eyes. He was as unsure of where our relationship stood as I was.

"I'm not sure. What do you want us to be?" I opened my mouth, but no sound would come out. I knew what I wanted us to be. I wanted a serious relationship, how could I not? Yet even with all we've been through and done, taking that step into a definite relationship was one of the hardest things I wanted to do. I may have been through a war and have become friends with talking animals, but I was still a teenage girl. A romantic relationship was scary, foreign territory.

"Peter! Claire! We've been looking all over for you. Oreius wants to go, everyone's ready."

We left in a flurry of activity. Oreius and the troops wanted to reach their destination as quickly as possible, but they also didn't want to push their monarchs too fast. Peter and I couldn't manage to snag even a few seconds alone after Lucy came to get us, so I didn't have a chance to answer Peter's question.

It was the third day of traveling to Cair Paravel when I cracked and just answered him outright. He was on the unicorn he had ridden in the battle and was riding up near the front, talking to Oreius, Edmund, and Aslan. Edmund was on Philip again. The stubborn horse was now refusing to let anyone except Edmund ride him; a request that had made the rest of us laugh. I had been given a pretty palomino horse named Diana who had kept up a steady stream of chat to keep me entertained. Susan was riding an ink black horse on my right side and Lucy was on a sweet chocolate one next to her. Normally we would've been talking or singing together, but it was early in the morning and we had run out of things to talk about without the boys. Except for the upcoming coronation, of course. I was waiting for Susan to wake up enough to start gushing plans and thoughts for the celebration while I was enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning until that time. Lucy seemed to be doing the same.

"So I was thinking about the coronation," well, the peace was nice while it lasted.

"What about the coronation?" I decided to see where this would take us before making an excuse to disengage from the conversation. It's not that I didn't want to help Susan, but after two and a half days of listening to color schemes, music ideas, seating arrangements, and flower arrangements it got a bit annoying.

"Well, obviously the coronation is going to be a very fancy occasion, so I was thinking over some ideas for clothing and such." I was amazed that Susan had pulled up a subject we hadn't covered. "But to decide that, we need to decide the color scheme and the type of flowers we'll be using." And that was my cue to go.

"That's a great idea!" I placed a huge smile on my face in preparation for my lie. "I'd love to stay and help, but I just remembered something I need to discuss with Edmund and Peter." Lucy looked at me with a small glare. It appeared that she had wanted to use that excuse as well.

"Alright. While you're down there, could you ask the boys about their color preference for me?"

"Sure." I mouthed a silent apology and urged Diana forward until I was beside the boys. Edmund took one glance at me and burst out in laughter.

"Let me guess. Susan was talking about the coronation plans again and you escaped." Of course Edmund would pick up on my relief.

"Good guess." The boys grinned widely and went back to the conversation they were having before I came. Peter made sure to stop and explain anything they said that he knew I didn't understand, which, quite honestly, was a lot. I wasn't sure why, but politics and military discussions were common among men.

I wasn't all that interested in their conversation, but it was better than listening to decoration plans again. Plus, being here meant that I could talk with Peter, hopefully alone at some point. I watched as he debated with his brother and Oreius about some trivial matter, noting how his cerulean eyes flashed with passion and how he would use his hands and arms to emphasize things when he got really involved in something. This went on for quite a while and we would be stopping for lunch soon, which meant I needed an answer for Susan.

"I should go back to the girls. Susan wants to know your color preferences."

"Blue." They had said it at the same time. We laughed together. I was about to pull Diana back when I saw Peter smile at me. It was a kind, gentle smile that plucked at my heartstrings. I saw those eyes that had been so full of passion a few moments before soften into an adoring gaze, and something snapped in me. I suddenly wasn't afraid to take another step.

"More." I knew the others would turn in confusion to me, but I kept my focus on Peter. "That's my answer, Peter. More." Words couldn't describe the look of joy and satisfaction that swept over his face. Yet I didn't need words to understand how he felt. I was feeling it as well. It was if some great barrier I hadn't been aware of before had been torn down. I was in the clouds, somehow able to fly without worry or fear. The feeling was healing. The feeling was addictive. The feeling brought out rounds of bliss and euphoria that would leave a mark on my soul. I hadn't even known I had needed this, but now that I did I wanted to share this feeling with everyone so that they might be able to find the same joy I had. Peter had the same idea, but he used actions instead of words. He leaned right over and kissed me, putting all of his happiness and contentment into it. I heard the crowd start laughing and applauding in approval, but I didn't care. Nothing in the world could bring me down at that moment. And when we broke apart, I spotted Aslan beaming at us with tender affection.

Cair Paravel was all that I had dreamed of in a castle and much more. It was masonry at its best, pure beauty molded into a single building with arched ceilings, marble floors, and gold molding. Even the room I was staying in held wonders far more extravagant than I could ever hope for. The maids who had escorted me here had assured me that these wonders paled in comparison to those in Peter's room, which I was told I would move into when I married him. I chose simply to ignore their comments. I didn't want to think of marriage. I was only fourteen.

I saw the dress I would wear to the coronation the next day hanging in the mahogany wardrobe across the room. Susan had chosen the color blue for her scheme, but had insisted on me choosing my own gown color. I chose the red and gold of Narnia's flag as my colors, and, after seeing my dress, I was glad I had. Susan had sent messengers ahead to inform the seamstresses of our choices so they could get these ready. Even with everybody in a rush, they had outdone themselves with the details.

The top was structured and laced up the back like a corset, and the skirt flowed loosely down to the floor and into a small, elegant train. Golden embroidery of scrolls and ivy leaves ran down the dress in two lines, leaving a strip of red satin in between them, and went around the bottom hem. The sleeves weren't connected to the rest of the dress, but were slipped on separately to just below the shoulder and laced up the inside. The red satin went down to my elbow, and then golden charmeuse silk fabric billowed out to my wrists and hung charmingly however I used my arms. Golden embroidery also went around the bottom of the red silk sleeves. The top of the dress was studded with red crystals and lined with pearls. To accent it, I would be wearing a red ribbon choker with a golden sun hanging from it and a golden chain adorned with pearls just below it. I was actually excited for the next day's activities just so I could wear this entire outfit.

Quickly slipping into a nightgown, I pulled back the cream silk sheets and fell into my bed. The bed was so soft and warm that one could mistake it for a large, puffy cloud and the feather mattress helped my muscles to relax. I needn't have worried about not getting any rest. Sleep came easily to me and within a few minutes I had drifted off to the silent meadows and lakes of my dreams.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" Laughter filled my ears as I ignored the stubborn pest and curled into a tight ball, a pillow placed over my head. "The sun is already shining, Claire, and you're wasting time. Remember what today is?" Oh yes. The coronation. My eyes shot open.

"The coronation! Lucy, what time is it?"

"Barely past seven. We have plenty of time." I saw Lucy's hair rolled up and tied with strips of cloth. Her hair would be beautifully curled for the celebration. I wondered how my hair would be done for today.

"When does the coronation begin?"

"At about two. We'd better get a move on though. Our hairstylist doesn't seem like a patient creature." I smiled as Lucy pulled me from my bed and tossed a simple gown my way to wear. She rushed me out the door and down the hall to Susan's room as soon as I was dressed.

"About time, you two. What took so long?"

"Sorry, Susan. Claire didn't seem eager to wake up this morning." I crossed my arms in a show of defiance.

"It's not my fault that nobody gave me a time to wake up." Susan smiled at me via mirror. The fawn doing her hair was rolling it up into curls so she couldn't turn her head. She beckoned me over to sit next to her.

"You got here just in time then. You're next." I sat down and watched as her hair was finished, then we switched spots. In a few hours, the strips of cloth in both her hair and Lucy's would be pulled out and their hair would be left with lovely curls. The fawn played with my golden-brown locks for a while, trying it one way and then another. She finally decided on an updo of a braid and curls that sat high on my head. Once decided, the actual hairdo took two hours to finish. Lucy and Susan were kind enough to bring me some breakfast from the dining table. I ate carefully to keep from moving my head and ruining the masterpiece that was taking shape. After much pulling and pinning, it was finished and I was shepherded into another chair for cosmetics, which I demanded to be very light and natural. The entire process was exhausting, but I agreed with the girls that it was all worth it once I saw the finished product. Lucy and Susan in their pretty blue dresses and I in my gown could rival even Aphrodite's beauty.

"It's getting close to time. We should go." I turned towards the door.

"Wait! The final touch has yet to be put on." Susan walked over to a table and opened the wooden box sitting on top of it. "Aslan had them make it to show your rank as a noble." She showed me what she held then and I let out a small gasp. A circlet of silver vines and leaves set with porcelain flowers as its frame and a large moonstone in the middle, supported by the vine that twisted twice below it. Susan carefully put it on me. The cool metal felt strange, but pleasant against my forehead.

"Now we can go." The three of us left and walked towards the throne room together. The boys joined us not too long after. They looked very grownup and handsome in their blue and silver tunics, matching the very definition of princes or kings. At the door to the throne room we parted ways. The Pevensies stayed outside while I went in and took my place at the front with Barley. He was sitting next to a fox I had never seen before.

"Hello, Barley." He bowed his head in greeting.

"Lady Claire. Allow me to introduce you to my mate, Possi." Blinking in shock, I took in my friends partner for a few moments. I smiled warmly at the sweet and shy looking fox.

"I didn't know you had a mate."

"Not many people did, but now that the war is over it's safe to reveal it." We exchanged pleasantries until Aslan went to the front and the doors opened. The ceremony itself was simple. Aslan pronounced each of their titles, crowning each of them to a feature of Narnia, and then Mr. Tumnus placed their crowns on their heads. At the end, the four of them al sat in their thrones while we applauded and blessed them with wishes for long lives and successful reigns. Afterwards was when the real party started.

"Shall we dance?" Peter had come up to me and offered his hand. I took it without hesitation and was whirled into the crowd of dancers. The dances were the ones we had learned at the camp, so keeping up was relatively easy. We plowed through dance after dance, smiling and laughing as we exchanged stories during the dances. A lot of the guests were standing to the side, eating and watching their new king and, I guess I was his consort now. How strange and surreal. My gown spun out in a red blur as I was twirled around and I saw more guests join in the dance. I was soon out of breath though.

"I can't dance anymore. Let's stop."

"Of course." He escorted off the dance floor and out to the balcony overlooking the sea. We sat and watched the waves for a while, making a comment now and again, but mostly soaking in Narnia's beauty.

"Claire?" I turned to see Aslan standing behind us. "May I speak with you?" He was smiling at us, as always, but something was a bit off.

"I'll go find my siblings. I'll see you later, Claire." Peter kissed my hand and then disappeared into the party inside. Aslan came and sat beside me and looked out over the sea.

"What did you need to talk about, Aslan?"

"Don't look so worried, Claire, it's nothing bad." I laughed softly. "I'll soon be leaving Narnia for a little while. I have things to attend to and the five of you are more than competent enough to run things here. But what I want to know is if you still want to aid the Witch's old followers." I recalled the passion I had felt for them each time I saw one of them watching from a distance.

"Yes, I do. How could I not want to help them?"

"Then I shall tell you what you must know if you want to talk peacefully with them. But you must be ready to risk everything, even your life if it comes to that. This is not something one can take lightly. Are you prepared?" Was I? Would I give anything to close the rip in this country? Could I? They would forever be outcasts and enemies if I didn't. Could I permit that? No, I couldn't.

"I am. They need me. Can I deny them my help?" He smiled at my answer, apparently satisfied. Yet, there was still fatherly worry in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Setting my eyes with determination, I turned to look Aslan in the eyes.

"I am."

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting on my story! I am so grateful to all of you! I humbly ask you to continue helping me improve with your comments.

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames are not. Thank you for your time! (please forgive and inform me of any grammer or spelling errors as well. i'll try to fix it ASAP) and know that anything you say to me I will read, even if i don't have time to respond.


	13. Home Again

This is my very last chapter of this story. I may or may not make a sequel, probably not for a long while if I do. I have too many other story ideas running through my heads, most of them not for Narnia. I want to thank everyone who stuck with this all the way to the end. I'm so grateful for you all and your support for me since this is my first story on . I want to thank all those who reviewed even more. Your comments and corrections throughout the story really helped me to make it through this story the way that I did. I want to apologize if this seems rushed. I had a lot I wanted to say, but not enough time to write it all down (though I've been writing this for months already). Wow... it's been about 2 years since I started this... time flies so quickly

I do not own anything except for Barley, Claire, Diana, Rygin, and Duhgle. Everything else belongs to C.S. Lewis and his brilliant mind.

* * *

"My lady! Please wait!" The faint sound of metal and footsteps mixed with the guard's call made me slow Diana down a bit and turn around. Three of Cair Paravel's guards were attempting to follow me and Barley on foot. I shook my head, knowing that their attempts were in vain. But it couldn't be helped. Aslan had wanted me to take this task alone with only the assistance of Barley and Diana. For two years after the Pevensie's coronation I had taken this same route into the woods, carrying the same package of food and clothing, hoping for some sign that my work had not been in vain. So far the only I had received was an empty clearing where I had left a basket two nights before. _Keep faith_. Well, it was kind of hard to do that without any visible signs.

"Do you think we should stop for them?" I glanced down at Barley as he ran along side Diana easily. He always asked the same question whenever the guards were running after us, and I always replied with the same answer.

"Not at all." His mouth curved up into an amused smile.

"His Majesty won't be very happy that the guards lost track of you. Again." I sighed as I we entered the outskirts of the forest.

"I'll deal with Peter later. He should be used to it by now though." We continued along our path, beaten down by the numerous visits we had paid to the forest. The sunlight took on a greenish hue as it filtered down through the trees. It was serene, not a place one would consider fugitives living in. The remnants of the Witch's army had taken refuge in this forest after the war had ended. These were the people that Aslan had asked me to watch over, and not without reason. They were brothers to somebody, sons, daughters, nephews, sisters, friends, lovers to somebody. They were people just the same as us, with feelings and hopes that were the same as ours. And while we had suffered many losses from the war, they had suffered even more.

The trees started to thin out deep in the heart of the forest, turning into the clearing that we usually stopped at. As Diana slowed to a stop, I dismounted and readjusted the pair of tan breeches I had borrowed from Peter's wardrobe. It was easier riding Diana and exploring the forest in pants than in a dress, and what Peter didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Barley circled the clearing, watchful for any signs of life, as always. I took the basket from Diana's back and placed it in its usual place. I kneeled down next to the basket and sighed. Barley noticed my change in mood and immediately appeared at my side, rubbing up against me. I placed my hand on his head and looked up at the sky.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, Barley. This waiting and waiting for something to come of this is killing me."

"Have patience, Claire. Results will come." Groaning, I stood back up.

"Yes, but when?" Barley opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance as two dwarves suddenly came crashing through the bushes into the clearing. As Barley moved to position himself between me and the dwarves, I stood and tried to appear both regal and humble. The dwarves slowly walked towards us with their swords drawn and menacingly pointed at us.

"Oh ho! What do we have here?" The smaller of the two said, his peppery gray hair fluttering slightly in the sudden breeze. His companion laughed and continued to inch up to us.

"Looks like a pair of intruders, eh Rygin?"

"Sure does, Duhgle." I backed up slowly as they continued to close in. The dwarf, whose name appeared to be Rygin, eyed me and my companions critically, trying to figure out why we were there. I recoiled into myself a bit and wished that I had been allowed to bring my bow and arrow. However, Aslan had told me to come unarmed, so I did. Suddenly Rygin's eyes grew wide and he stepped back in alarm. "Duhgle, these aren't just any intruders. The human's a noble." Duhgle just laughed and continued forward.

"Even better. Maybe we can bargain for some supplies or rights or something." I watched as Rygin darted forward and pulled back on Duhgle's small tunic.

"No, we can't. She's not just a noble. She's Lady Claire. That king's noble." Duhgle stopped in his tracks and stared at me. I wasn't sure whether to relax or run away, so I just stayed where I was and prepared myself to flee if the need arose. The two dwarves spoke hurriedly and quietly to each other. I shifted my position and nervously tugged at Peter's breeches. The basket sat exposed at my feet and, as the dwarves saw it, tipped fortune in my favor for a few minutes at least.

"Don't tell me that YOU were the one bringing all that food and stuff." I nodded. Duhgle honestly looked stumped. Not that I could blame him really, especially since we were enemies not too long ago. Why would I be bringing them supplies? "Oh no, oh no! We ate that food! For all we know, you could've poisoned it!" I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. The two stared at me with a mixture of anger and fear.

"Well, obviously I didn't poison it since you're both still alive." My comment didn't seem to convince them that I was no threat to them. Rygin whispered quickly in Duhgle's ear before stepping up to challenge me.

"Eat it."

"What?" He pointed at the basket to accent his point this time.

"Eat it. If it's not dangerous, then eat it." I smiled indulgently and bent down to tear off a piece of bread to eat. Chewing slowly, I sat on the ground and pushed the basket closer to the two dwarves in a peace offering. Rygin, seeing that I truly meant no harm, set down his sword and took the basket from me. He seemed puzzled and kept looking from the food in his hands to me and then back again, opening his mouth and closing it as if he was trying to find what he wanted to say. We all remained silent for the next ten minutes or so until Rygin finally found his voice and asked the unspoken question that I knew would come up eventually. "Why?"

"Whatever you may believe about me, I am not one who will sit by passively while someone needs help, whoever that person may be. In time, I hope you will come to see that we, meaning me and my monarchs, really don't want to fight with you. We want to help you, to give you a new life." Duhgle snorted unbelievingly, but Rygin looked at me with new respect and curiosity. I could tell from their responses that Rygin was the more reasonable and diplomatic of the two. Duhgle seemed much too willing to attack.

"You are a very… intriguing person. I can't say that I believe you, but you are indeed a very curious person." Well, it was a start. But I could at least work from there as opposed to someone who would ignore my statement and just attack. Feeling that my work for the day was finished, I hesitantly stood back up and walked towards Diana.

"I had best be going before Peter decides to send a battalion of soldiers after me." Rygin nodded.

"Yes, that would be best." Pulling myself back up into Diana's saddle, I checked around the area in case I had forgotten something.

"If there's anything you and your group absolutely need, I can bring it in two days when I come back." Duhgle spoke up this time.

"You're coming back?" I could tell from his tone that he wasn't happy, but he was also impressed that I would be brave enough to willingly return again.

"Yes, I am. Should I bring more food than I usually do?" My question was directed back at Rygin, who I knew would give me a precise and truthful answer. He looked into the basket quickly and then back up at me.

"Please do. This is only enough to feed half of us and food is hard to come by in these woods." I nodded in affirmation and spurred Diana into a run out of the clearing and back down the familiar pathway. I was filled to the brim with excitement and fear, happy that my labor had finally produced some fruit, but scared of this new territory of interaction. I had fallen into the pattern of riding into the clearing, leaving a basket, and then leaving. This change in routine left me feeling nervous about what could possibly happen.

I lifted my head into the wind and closed my eyes. "Aslan, be with me. Lend me your courage." Feeling the wind swirl around me and caress my face in the most delicate way, I let nature carry my worries away in the arms of the gentle wind as the turrets of Cair Paravel drew closer in my sight. Soon we arrived at the doors of the magnificent castle and I jumped down to the ground, striding into the entrance with a new spring in my step to the amusement of many of the castle's inhabitants. Barley smiled and went off on his own way, wherever that was, and one of the guards took his place walking beside me.

"Good afternoon, milady. His majesty would like a word with you whenever you're ready." The guard glanced down at my apparel and I realized that I was still wearing Peter's breeches. Not exactly the type of clothing a noblewoman should be wearing.

"Thank you. I will speak with him shortly." Embarrassed, I rushed up to my bedchambers and exchanged my riding clothes for one of the elegant gowns I had been provided with. I ran a brush through my windswept hair and put my circlet back on before running back out and down into the throne room. I found Peter lounging in his throne alone, leaning against one of the arms rests with his legs thrown over the other one. His crown was hanging from one of the throne's corners instead of sitting on his head. He was lost in his own thoughts and didn't notice me walking up to the dais until I was at the very edge. The young king straightened up at my presence as I swept into my most graceful curtsy. "My Lord."

"Please, Claire. We're far past formalities by now." I stood up from my curtsy and let a small smirk grace my lips as I walked onto the dais.

"You know, you really should act more dignified. You are the High King after all."

"Only when you stop running off into the woods. Rumors are starting, you know. They say you're planning a rebellion with the Witch's old followers." I laughed and leaned against his throne.

"Oh, I highly doubt that." He smiled and took my hand in his, pressing a small kiss against my knuckles. I couldn't ignore the small shock of electricity that traveled up my arm from his kiss. Peter then donned a serious expression and looked straight into my eyes.

"Claire, you know I don't approve of you going into the woods alone. It's not safe."

"I'm not alone. I take Barley and Diana with me every time." He shook his head and sighed.

"That's not what I meant! If the Witch's followers attack, they can't protect you. You refuse to take any weapons with you, but won't you at least take someone who is trained in hand-to-hand combat?" I pulled my hand out of his, walking in front of Peter so he could see that I was still unharmed before I revealed my day's events.

"I met two of them today, Peter. Two dwarves who came at me with swords drawn. But I came out in one piece without any injuries, not even bruise! They need our help, and I intend to give it to them, whether you approve or not."

"Claire…"

"Please, trust me. I know what I'm doing. Or, if you can't trust me, trust Aslan." We stared at each other for several long seconds before Peter nodded in agreement.

"I trust you. Just…don't do anything too careless. Promise?" Grinning euphorically, I took his hand again in both of mine.

"Thank you, Peter! I promise." I kissed his cheek and practically danced out the throne room to go prepare a basket for my next visit.

Over the following months, I slowly gained the trust of Rygin and Duhgle. They still had me take a bite of the food I brought for the first month or so, but they soon learned to trust my food even if they couldn't trust my motives yet. Many times, Rygin and Duhgle would bring another member of their group to meet me and help take food back to their camp and I gradually gained their trust as well to the point that I was able to move among the group within their own camp. It took a year and a half to receive everyone's trust and loyalty in the group but the time it took was well worth it. They became my people and a part of my family, and I was the same to them, so much so that they would be willing to give the new monarchs and Narnia a try if I ever ascended to the throne. Finally, Aslan decided to join me on one of my visits. The gentle way in which he listened to the people and encouraged them was the final nail needed to seal their loyalty. They were now Aslan's loyal subjects.

-3 Years Later-

Butterflies were going to burst out of my stomach at anytime. I was visibly shaking in my white, silken dress as Lucy and Susan finished touching up my hair. My shaking wasn't from being nervous though, rather it was because I was so excited. Almost nineteen years old and soon to be united with the High King of Narnia and my love. I couldn't believe that this day was finally here! After a year of planning and dreaming, my wedding day had finally arrived.

"Don't cry yet, Claire. You don't want to have red eyes during the ceremony." Lucy said soothingly. I smiled up at the two queens, standing up from my seat to look at myself in the mirror. My dress was exceedingly simple, made of white silk and lace that hung elegantly on my slight frame. Pearls adorned the rounded neckline and hems of both the sleeves and the skirt. The familiar circlet hugged my forehead in a last embrace as it would soon be replaced by the tiara of a king's consort and my hair tumbled down in wild, yet tamed curls. The ceremony would be held outdoors near the sea, including not only the citizens on Narnia, but Narnia itself. "You look perfect. You're ready."

"Thank you. Both of you." The three of us hugged, then Susan and Lucy took my hands and led me down to the grounds. Before stepping outside, I slipped off my shoes so that I could feel the comfort of the grass beneath my feet. We walked leisurely towards the wedding area, taking in the beauty of this glorious day, but all thoughts of the day fled my mind as soon as I saw Peter standing beside Edmund and the Great Lion himself. Peter and I locked eyes and suddenly all I could see was the young man who had captured my heart long before we had reached Narnia. The ceremony went by in a blur. I knew I was answering correctly when I had to, yet I really wasn't paying any attention to anything other than the handsome king before me who I became tied to as husband and wife, King and princess consort. We exchanged our vows and rings, the golden bands sealing our marriage in an eternal bond. I kissed my husband and then knelt before Aslan to receive my new title.

"Claire, my daughter, you are expecting only the title of princess consort. Your loyalty and love to your country and your people, regardless of the situations, has made you worthy of much more. For to be a leader, one must first become a servant. My daughter, I name you High Queen Claire, the Faithful." Cheers erupted from the crowd that had gathered to see their king wed. I felt my eyes becoming moist as Peter placed the crown upon my head. I had not expected nor asked for such an honor. Among the crowd I noticed the Witch's old followers, now loyal to Aslan, celebrating along with the others and the old prophecy that I had heard when I first came to Narnia came to my head again.

_There will be one, a daughter of Eve of noble descent,_

_Who will help bring Narnia from bleakness to brilliance,_

_Then Narnia will be whole once more,_

_When united again is Adam's flesh and Adam's bone._

Narnia was united again, brother with brother and sister with sister. It had taken a while, but the people were finally able to come together and heal old wounds. Unity and peace would reign along with Narnia's monarchs for years to come.

The hunt for the white stag was a tradition that the five monarchs followed religiously all throughout their reign. Whenever a whisper reached their ears about the stag's location, all five would drop what they were doing, saddle up, and head out. This day was no different. Autumn was in full bloom and the wind was turning colder, yet the variety of warm colors made up for the nip in the air. We flew over the land on our mounts, hot in pursuit of the white stag. My husband and Lucy led the five of us and Edmund and I pulled up the rear. Both Philip and Diana were growing too old for such sport and it was starting to show. The wind blowing through my hair reminded me so much of the days I had spent racing into the woods all those years ago. It had been about thirteen years or so by now. As we raced beside the river, Diana started to slow down and finally coming to a stop. Peter noticed and started to also stop, but I waved him on.

"Go on without me. I'll meet you all at Cair Paravel later." He nodded and continued the hunt. I dismounted from Diana's back and let her drink form the river. "Are you alright, Diana?"

"I'm fine, milady. Just old age." I shook my head.

"No, not old. Never old." Looking around the area we had stopped at, I noticed a lot of familiar landmarks, though I knew I had not come this way before. I walked down the bank towards the waterfall, always making sure that Diana was still in my sight. Moving along the rock wall, I saw the cliff turn into a cave. I took off my slippers and pulled up my gown before stepping into the river itself, intent of exploring the cave. Curious, Diana trotted up behind me as well. "I'm just going to go into that cave. I'll be back soon, and if I'm not, head back to Cair Paravel for help."

With that I stepped into the cave. The thing that hit me most was that the cave was furnished with miscellaneous items, from gowns to gadgets that I had never seen in Narnia but rang a bell in my mind. I walked further and further into the cave. The mess grew larger the deeper I went and the stone floor strangely enough turned into wood. This cave was not a cave at all, but rather it was a storage room. More specifically, a closet.

I fell through the doorway of the closet into the abandoned room in my grandmother's house. I had gone from being a grown lady, a noble, back to my thirteen year old self. The only sign that Narnia had been real and not a dream was the cool, solid band of gold the remained on my left hand's ring finger. I heard the room's door open and looked up to see my grandmother standing there with a knowing smile on her face.

"Grandmother, you know those stories you told me? About Narnia? I think I believe you now."

The next day my family decided to go visit the old professor's house down the way. I was exhausted from a sleepless night. After about ten years of marriage, I had grown used to having Peter sleeping beside me. I had tossed and turned all night, trying to find the comfort that his presence had given me. Our car pulled up to a dignified looking house that I could only guess belonged to the professor. As we got out, my grandmother turned back to me and wrapped m e in an embrace.

"Why don't you go explore the grounds, Claire dear? Tell me what you find later." I nodded and started a trek around the large yard. The great space of grass and trees reminded me so much of Narnia, but it was also much too different. I was homesick for the rolling hills and bubbling brooks and varied life of my country, but especially for Peter and the other Pevensies. How were they dealing with my sudden disappearance? When would I ever see them again?

"Claire!" Lucy's voice was so clear in my mind. I must've missed them more than I knew.

"Claire, over here!" This time Susan's voice called to me. Now if only I could hear Peter's voice.

"Claire! Stop ignoring us and come over here!" I turned around suddenly and saw the four Pevensie siblings sitting under a tree and laughing. I yelled out in joy and ran over to the four of them, my wedding ring shining in the sunshine. All four stood and wrapped me in a large hug, exclaiming in delight at our reunion. Peter's ring finger was also shining and I saw that he was also wearing his wedding ring.

"So it was real. I wasn't just dreaming." They all laughed. Peter pulled me tightly against him and kissed the top of my head.

"It was real, love. Every single second of it." I nuzzled into his chest and smiled. "I missed you, Claire."

"I missed you too." He took one of my hands and kissed my palm, then pressed it against his cheek.

"Welcome home."

* * *

Once again I want to thank everyone. Now I will ask for the final time (this is kind of bittersweet), please review! I would love to hear your thoughts now that the story is complete. Was there anything you felt I needed to tie up that I might've not noticed? Were there any mistakes or spelling errors you saw? Anything you want me to elaborate on? Now that it's finished, I can focus on making it better as a whole :)

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames are not. Thank you all for reading! Bless you all!


End file.
